


The Fugitives

by Singerme



Category: Gunsmoke
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-08-25
Updated: 2012-08-25
Packaged: 2017-11-12 21:08:09
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 32,119
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/495658
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Singerme/pseuds/Singerme
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Kitty Russell was able to keep Steven Downing out of Bob Mathison's hands. Unfortunately she wasn't so successful herself.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

The Fugitives 1 thru 10

I don’t own these characters; I just like to spend time with them. No other profit to be had.  
Author’s Note: This is a continuation of sorts of the Season 14 Episode “The Prisoner”. Original air date 03/17/1969 Written by Calvin Clements, directed by Leo Penn.

Mathison County in MO is completely fictional, therefore anything that occurs and the terrain it occurs in, is purely imaginary.  
I must also give high praise and thanks to LadyBrit for her advice on all things medical.

MKDFSMKDFSMKDFSMKDFSMKDFS

Kitty sat back on the uncomfortable stage coach seat, unsuccessfully trying to relax on her journey home. Though the trip had been productive, business wise, it sure hadn’t been much fun without Matt along, as he had promised to be. 

Wearily she rested her head on the back of the hide covered seat and tried to shake off the irritation of once again having their plans disrupted by Matt’s wife, the badge. This time had been so close too. They were both at the stage office, just about to step on, when that damn telegram had come.

“Sorry, Kitty,” he had mumbled, for what seemed the thousandth time in their relationship, eyes darting everywhere but her face. “New trial’s been set for the Jennings boy. They want me there to testify again.”

Angrily, Kitty had waved him off and waved goodbye, as she had huffily climbed on board by herself, and set off for St. Louis.

Alone.

Again.

Thinking about it now though, she felt a little guilty about her reaction. She knew Matt had a job to do, and she had long ago accepted that, when she had accepted him into her heart. Besides, it wasn’t that he intentionally tried to avoid trips with her.  
Sighing, she closed her eyes, knowing any attempt at sleep was futile, but hoping for at least some respite from the nagging headache, that was currently pecking at her temples.

This would be one pleasure trip, she would be glad to have over.

MKDFSMKDFSMKDFSMKDFS

Matt stood among the tombstones and weeds looking about him, as he often did when needing to think. But he really wasn’t seeing the weathered boards or the waist high grasses. His mind was a million miles away. Well, actually not even that far depending on how many miles the stage had traveled.

He kept remembering the injured expression on her beautiful face as she had boarded the stage to St. Louis. Though she had said nothing, and had even graciously waved goodbye as the stage pulled away, he saw the hurt in her saddened azure eyes. He had done it again.

Once again his badge had taken precedence over his life and his promises to her. But it wasn’t just the look she gave him that was bothering him. Something playing on edge of his consciousness was nagging him today. He had a bad feeling and he knew it had something to do with Kitty, beyond the normal concern when Kitty was anywhere near a stage coach.

Taking one last look around him, Matt turned and headed back to Dodge, and the Long Branch. 

MKDFSMKDFSMKDFSMKDFS

Sam leaned heavily against the gleaming mahogany bar of the Long Branch, and looked around the quiet saloon. Seemed, it was always quiet, when Miss Kitty wasn’t there. Or at least, it was to him.

Over the years, Sam had come to care quite a bit, for the striking red headed girl that had hired him and trusted him with so much. Of course, he knew, she didn’t consider herself to be a girl any longer, but he still did.

A beautiful girl, who could light up a room, simply by walking through. He knew as well though, that the Marshal, who had just come in, felt the same way about her and more. And when she was gone, as she was now, the Marshal was not a happy man.

Looking at him, as he walked over to sit with Doc, Festus and Newly, Sam could see just how unhappy he was by the slump of his shoulders, and the morose look on his face.

Doc saw it too, as did Festus and Newly, and all three men understood his mood. It wasn’t just the fact that she wasn’t there. It was that he wasn’t with her, as he should’ve been, as he had promised to be.

Though little was said between the four men, it was plainly evident, that their minds were all focused on the one person not there. And because little was said, none of them knew that each one was feeling the same feelings and thinking the same thoughts.  
Kitty Russell wasn’t there, and neither the law man nor the town, would be alright, until she returned.

MKDFSMKDFSMKDFSMKDFS

“Sure do hope this rig doesn’t break down before we reach Kansas” Kitty heard the drummer, sitting across from her, say. Considering she was the only other passenger, she assumed he was speaking to her. But as she had her eyes closed, and had been pretending sleep, it could be that he was speaking to himself. 

Cracking softly blue-shaded eyelids open, her bright sapphire eyes peered across to the seat opposite. Nope, he was speaking to her. “I beg your pardon?” she feigned ignorance.

“I said, I sure do hope we don’t break down, before we reach Kansas,” he repeated. “Unless I’m mistaken, we’re in Mathison County, Missouri. Heard some bad things about this county and the man that runs it. Heard he’s a bear when he’s crossed.”

Kitty didn’t reply as her heart sank and her mouth ran dry. Bob Mathison still ran Mathison County, and Bob Mathison didn’t care for Kitty Russell in the slightest. She had crossed him about a year ago, and she doubted he had forgotten it.

Thinking back, she remembered the look on Mathison’s face, when she had refused to surrender Steven Downing to him, after she had won custody of the young man in a poker game.

The fact that she had cheated Jarvis, the bounty hunter and Mathison’s lackey, to get Steven didn’t matter to her. She just refused to allow the boy that had saved her life, to be hung by a vengeful Bob Mathison, for what was basically an accident.

But of course Mathison didn’t see it that way. His wife was dead and he wanted Steven to pay. If Matt hadn’t gotten that federal warrant, granting a new trial outside of Mathison County, and shot Bob Mathison in the arm, Steven would have been unjustly hung.  
But Matt had once again saved the day; the end result had been a new trial and acquittal for Steven and an enemy for Kitty and Matt, in Missouri.

Shaking her head, she joined the drummer in his prayers for a safe, and speedy, trip out of Missouri and into Kansas.

MKDFSMKDFSMKDFSMKDFSMKDFS

Part 2

Kitty had almost succeeded in falling asleep, despite the bumping jostling coach, and her talkative fellow passenger, when she felt the rig lurch to a stop. Blinking her eyes, she sat up and glanced out the window beside her. She saw they had arrived in a town of some sort. Though it looked vaguely familiar, she wasn’t quite sure where they were.

Looking across to the drummer, she saw a look of fear cross his otherwise plain features, as he too looked out the small window at their new surroundings.

Just then the door opened and the driver stuck his head into the coach. “Sorry folks” he said. “Looks like we got a problem with the rear left wheel. Hated to do it, but we had to take a little detour to get it fixed. I didn’t have anything with me to do it out on the road. Hope you all don’t mind, but I didn’t have no choice.”

“How big a detour?” The drummer’s voice had gone up an octave and had taken on a whine.

“Oh not too far. We’re in Mathison Township.” The driver replied.

MKDFSMKDFSMKDFS

Matt placed his empty beer mug back on the green felt topped table and scooted back in his chair. “Well,” he said, as he rose to his full 6’ 7” height. “I’ll see you all later. I’ve got some things to do.”

“What’s wrong, Matthew? Need some hep do ya?” Festus asked. Doc elbowed him. Festus jerked, shot a glare in Doc’s direction then turned back towards Matt, waiting for an answer. 

Matt shook his head. “No, Festus,” he said as he crossed the room and headed out. “But thanks.”  
“What’d you go an do that fer?” Festus turned angrily towards Doc, after Matt left. “I jes thought mebbe they was something I could hep him with.”

“If Matt wanted your help, he’d ask for it.” Doc shot back. “Can’t you see he’s worried?”

“Well o coarse I kin see that, ya old grump hed.” Festus snapped. “I know he’s worried about Miss Kitty. We all are. But I jes hate to see him so sad like.”

Doc waved him off in irritation, all the time knowing that Festus was feeling the same thing he, Matt, Sam and Newly were. Something was wrong. Trouble was brewing and they all had a strong feeling it was brewing for Kitty.

Matt heard their conversation as he exited out onto the boardwalk, but he chose to leave it be. Those two argued even over things they agreed upon.

Besides, it wasn’t just that he was worried about Kitty. There was something more in this but he couldn’t put a finger on it. It lurked around the edges like a dog looking for scraps. Kitty was either in danger or soon would be, he would almost bet on it.

But he had no proof, nothing at all to go on. All he could do was anxiously wait, and be ready to go to her when she needed him.

MKDFSMKDFSMKDFS

No wonder the place looked familiar, Kitty thought disgustedly as she climbed out of the broken down conveyance. The one place she didn’t want to be was the one place the stage chose to lose a wheel.

Taking a look around, she saw that not much had changed in the four years since she had been there last. It was still a dingy little town run by a despot with more money than scruples, and being there gave her the chills.

“Driver?” she asked as the man helped her down. “How long do you think we’ll be here?”

The tall scruffy, broad shouldered man stopped and scratched his three day old beard. “Well ma’am, figure it’ll be at least three, four hours or more. You might as well get ya something to eat and find a place to rest a spell.”

Kitty smiled briefly and thanked him as she spotted the telegraph office across the street. Something bothered her about being here. Though nothing had happened and most likely wouldn’t, she didn’t feel comfortable and wouldn’t until she got home.

Walking across the street, she walked in and sent a wire. “Marshal Matt Dillon*Dodge City Kansas * stop* stage delayed in Mathison Township, Mathison County, MO * stop * signed Kitty Russell.”

The man behind the round rimmed glasses and tiny mustache glanced curiously at her as she handed him the message, but her money was good, so he sent the wire. 

MKDFSMKDFSMKDFS

Bob Mathison had just stepped out of his office, placing his battered brown hat on his thinning red hair when he saw her. It had been a year since she had thwarted him, but he hadn’t forgotten the beautiful woman that he hated.

That wretched woman, in his view of things, was responsible for not only a murderer going free, but the ache he still felt in his left arm at every change of weather. She had not only prevented justice, HIS justice, from being done, but she helped Steven Downing. The man that had killed his wife.

As he scowled across the street at her, he noticed a thin, nervous little man just behind her. The same little man that had come through town about a year prior, selling whiskey. Bad whiskey. An idea formed in Mathison’s evil mind.

Quickly making his way down the dusty street, he entered the decrepit little building they called the jail. “Jarvis?” he hailed the overweight man behind the too small desk. “How would you like a chance at that $5000.00 you lost last year?”

MKDFSMKDFSMKDFSMKDFSMKDFS

Part 3

Kitty walked into what passed for a café in Mathison Township, and lowered herself carefully into a less than stable chair at the only available table in the small un-swept room. 

Glancing at the plates in front of the other diners around her, she decided she would settle on coffee. Whatever these people were eating did not look appetizing in the slightest. She would wait till she reached Dodge.

Laying her reticule on the edge of the table in front of her, she removed her gloves waiting for the waiter to come and take her order.

To say the service in the depressing little eatery was slow was an understatement. But Kitty maintained an outward calm and forbearing appearance as she reminded herself that she must only endure this horrid little town for a short while.

Although she still had that nagging feeling that something was wrong, she pushed it aside, not wanting to give credence to something unpleasant, in a place that was already unpleasant enough.

Just as her waiter finally got around to pouring her weak, luke-warm coffee, the drummer she had shared the stage with came in and approached her table.

“Looks like the place is a little full,” he said, indicating the rest of the room with a nod of his head. “Do you mind if I sit with you?

“Not at all,” Kitty smiled brightly at the timid-looking little man. Though not one she would have chosen, Kitty almost saw the drummer as an ally in this hostile little town. She could tell he didn’t want to be there any more than she did.

“Thank you,” he said, as he reached his hand across to her. “My name's Jasper Lowther. I’m a whiskey salesman.”

Kitty accepted his hand somewhat reluctantly. “I’m Kitty Russell,” she answered, spotting the waiter’s approach from behind Lowther.

When the waiter appeared at Jasper’s side to take his order, the drummer jumped, knocking Kitty’s reticule to the floor in the process. “Oh, I’m so sorry,” he apologized. “Here, let me get that.”

Bending down, he disappeared below the table for a moment before sitting back up and handing the bag back to Kitty. “Sure am sorry about that,” he mumbled sincerely. ‘About everything’, he added silently.

“That’s alright”, she said. “No problem.” Kitty laid her bag down in her lap and looked over at her new table mate. Something was seriously wrong with the man, but she couldn’t figure out what. Whatever it was had him awfully nervous and jumpy. He looked afraid of his own shadow.

“Have you ever been here before?” Kitty asked, politely attempting conversation to ease the man’s nerves some.

“N….no….” he stuttered, refusing to look her in the eye. “Just heard bad things about this place is all.”

Kitty nodded as she started to take a sip of her now cold coffee but thought better of it. It wasn’t any better warm. She looked around the room again before settling her gaze back on Lowther. He was definitely nervous about something, and he was beginning to give her the jeebies.

“Well, Mr. Lowther,” she said, as she lowered the cup back to the table. “I think I’m going to take a walk around the town, for a while, before the stage leaves. Kinda stretch my legs. You have a nice dinner, okay?”

Lowther met her eyes for the first time since sitting down, and nodded. “Yes ma’am,” he managed before dropping his gaze back to the dirty tabletop.

Kitty didn’t know why, but she got the strangest feeling that Mr. Lowther was hiding something, and that he was extremely apprehensive about it. What that may be she didn’t know, but then again, she wasn’t sure she wanted to know.

Nodding courteously at him, she gripped her reticule and walked through the door of the café right into the meaty grasp of Al Jarvis, former bounty hunter, now Sherriff of Mathison County.

Before her weary mind could register surprise or consternation at being accosted by the loathsome creep, Lowther came out of the restaurant behind her, nearly colliding with her and Jarvis.

For just a moment, Lowther stopped and looked hard at her. The look was one of regret and guilt but before Kitty could ponder on it, he began to yell.

“She took my watch!” he was shouting agitatedly. “Sherriff, arrest that woman! She took my watch!”

Kitty looked back at the drummer in confusion, then back at the overweight ogre, who was grinning down at her.

“Well, well, well” he smirked. “Look at what we got here. The lady bounty hunter. Guess bounties aren’t the only thing you’re good at stealing, huh?” 

MKDFSMKDFSMKDFSMKDFSMKDFS

Part 4

The cell Jarvis shoved Kitty into, was cold, dank and comprised of one barred window and a small cot with a stained mattress.  
A less than empty chamber pot stood at the ready, near the end of the cot.

Though she had protested her innocence loudly and angrily, it had had little effect, when Jarvis yanked her handbag from her arm and rudely pawed through it, bringing out a man’s gold watch in his dirty fist.

Kitty ceased her protestations. Realization of her circumstances dawned on her, and she knew any further objections would be pointless. She had been set up in one the oldest cons she could remember and she had fallen for it.

Embarrassment at her naiveté, and anger at the drummer’s duplicity, colored her cheeks an even rosier shade of red than any rouge she might wear. Her only consolation and hope, was in the fact that she had sent that wire to Matt. Wearily, she sank down on the least filthy end of the cot, and sighed.

“Oh Matt” she thought, as she took a deep shuddering breath.

MKDFSMKDFSMKDFS

“Festus, mount up”, Matt fairly yelled as he rushed into the small brick jail building. “We’ve gotta ride.”

Festus, who was in a hotly contested checker game with Doc, jerked when Matt dashed in, and innocently, almost, knocked the board and it’s pieces to the floor. “Where to, Matthew.” He asked, trying to avoid Doc’s glare.

“Mathison County,” Matt grunted. “I got a wire from Kitty saying she’s there.” He didn’t elaborate, he didn’t need to. There were few in Dodge who had forgotten the ill-tempered Mathison, and his violent attempt to hang young Steven Downing on Front Street.

“What’s happened?” Doc asked, as Matt grabbed rifles from the rack over his desk, and Festus headed out for Buck and Ruth.

“Nothing that I know of,” Matt answered truthfully, “but Kitty’s in Mathison Township and I have a bad feeling about it, Doc. I don’t know why, but I just think I’d better head in that direction.”

Doc nodded in understanding and stood silent for a moment longer, as he watched Matt grab his saddlebags and begin to stuff them with extra cartridges and a can or two of beans, along with a bag of coffee.

So intent was Matt at the tasks before him, that he didn’t notice that Doc had taken his leave of the jail, until he heard the door shut behind him. Sparing no time to puzzle over the physicians behavior, he continued to pack his bags.

Matt was operating purely on instinct, knowing what he was doing, but not why. All he was certain of was that Kitty was in trouble, and he had to get to her.

Finally finished with his bag and an extra one for Festus, Matt grabbed his belongings and walked out the door to find not only Festus with both their mounts, but Doc as well, sitting almost comfortably on a horse he had gotten from Hank at the stable. His battered black medical bag was tied on the saddle, along with a small worn carpet bag on the other side.

Before Matt could open his mouth to question the astonishing sight, of the elderly physician on horseback, Sam walked up, leading his horse, wearing his brown hat and coat along with a determined expression.

“We’re ready when you are, Marshal.” Sam said seriously.

Matt swallowed his surprise, and his questions, and nodded. “Let’s ride,” he said, as they climbed aboard their animals, and Matt led the way east, out of Dodge and toward Missouri.

MKDFSMKDFSMKDFS

The heroic quartet rode until the last vestiges of light had disappeared over the western horizon. When Matt finally did rein in, it was simply because neither he nor his mount could go any further. Looking around at his traveling mates, Matt doubted they could either.

“We can make camp over there.” Matt said, pointing at a small copse of trees with a crik beside it.

The other men said nothing, as they followed Matt to the chosen camp site and dismounted. Watching them, Matt shook his head in wonder. Though neither Doc nor Sam said anything, he knew they weren’t accustomed to long horse back rides. He could see their exhaustion in their slow awkward movements, as they went about unsaddling their horses and spreading their bedrolls.

“Matthew,” Festus walked up beside him. “I’m gonna see kin I get us some firewood and get a fire goin’.  
”  
Matt nodded, gratefully. “Thanks, Festus.”

Doc walked up beside him and stood in silence for a moment, watching as Festus moved off.

Matt looked over at his friend in concern. “Doc, it may be a little late to question this now, but what are you and Sam doing here? I mean, I’m not even sure why I’m here, to be honest.”

Doc took a swipe of his mustache and looked up at Matt. “You and I both know why we’re here, Matt. Kitty. We may not have anything to go on, but every single one of us knows something is wrong. Call it superstition or foolishness or what have you, but something is wrong, and Kitty either needs us, or soon will.”

“But what about your practice?” Matt questioned. “I mean, who’s going to do the doctoring while you’re gone?”

“I talked to Newly,” Doc said. “He’s going to take care of that for me while I’m gone, and he and Burke will watch over the town, until a Deputy can ride down from Hays to take care of the law for you.”

Matt grinned in amazement. “What about the Long Branch? You know, Kitty will be awful upset to have it closed down for too long.”  
“Won’t be closed down,” Sam said, from behind them. “Fred Deacon was there when Doc came in looking for Newly. Fred’s filled in many a time. He’ll take good care of the Long Branch till we get back.”

Matt’s grin widened for a moment. “Well, I guess you all got everything pretty well taken care of.”

Festus returned with the wood, and the men gathered round to help him lay the fire and get it going. Not much more was said, but all four men knew that what ever they were riding into was not going to be easy. However, not a one of them, no matter how unaccustomed to horseback riding, would turn back.

Not till Kitty was safe, and back home.

MKDFSMKDFSMKDFSMKDFSMKDFS

I have never ridden horseback from Dodge City to the non-existent Mathison County so I have no real idea of how long it would take to ride there. Just sayin’.

Part 5

Kitty sat on the bare, stained mattress of the hard little cot, shivering as the cold late fall wind came in through the open window above her. Apparently Mathison didn’t believe prisoner’s deserved blankets. Of course, looking around at the grubby little cell into which she was shoved, she figured it wouldn’t matter. Any covering provided would be probably be just as filthy.

She had no way of telling time, but Kitty supposed she had been sitting there for at least four hours, before she finally heard footsteps coming near. Looking up, she saw Bob Mathison approaching with a self-satisfied smirk on his insolent face.

“I trust you’re comfortable,” Mathison sneered, as he stepped closer to the bars.

Kitty scowled at him. “Sure,” she said. “It’s so homey in here. I just love the décor.” She pointed at the half full chamber pot.  
Mathison returned the scowl, glanced at the chamber pot then back at Kitty. “I’m glad to hear that.” He said evenly. “I’m sure you’ll like Statesville prison even more.”

“It’s probably better then here.” She replied smartly. She wasn’t about to let him see the fear she had of Statesville. She had heard many horrid things about that place.

“We’ll see if you still feel that way after a couple of years there.” He said, before turning back towards the door.

Kitty didn’t reply as he walked away, but inside her heart was beating wildly. She had no doubt what kind of justice she would receive at this man’s hands, and a prison sentence or worse was practically a guarantee.

What wasn’t guaranteed was when Matt would get there. She knew he would come. Their connection was that strong. He would come for her. But whether he made in time or not, she didn’t know. Dodge City, Kansas was a long way from Mathison County, Missouri. 

MKDFSMKDFSMKDFS

Matt woke before dawn, and stretched his stiff limbs. It would be another day of hard riding, and once again he wondered about his traveling companions.

None of them were as young as they used to be, but at least he and Fetus were used to long days in the saddle. Doc and Sam were not.

He understood their reasons for wanting to come, and he had accepted those reasons, and them. But now, in the cold early morning, lying on a hard unforgiving ground, he wondered if he should send them home for their own sakes.

“I know what you’re thinking, Marshal”. Sam had materialized at his side, and was handing him a cup of coffee.

Matt sat up and took the cup, looking at Sam curiously. “I didn’t hear you get up.” he said. “And what do you mean; you know what I’m thinking?”

Sam hunkered down on the ground beside Matt, and took a sip of his own cup of the hot brew. “I’ve been up for a while, Marshal. It’s been some time since I slept on the ground.”

Matt nodded, waiting for Sam to say what was on his mind.

 

“I know you’re thinking Doc and me might slow you and Festus down, but I assure you, we won’t. We’re stronger than you think, and we’re just as determined to get to Miss Kitty, and help her, as you are.”

Matt reached over and clasped Sam’s arm in friendship. “Sam, I wasn’t worried about you two slowing us down. But I was worried about you. It’s not easy to stay in the saddle all day, even if you’re used to it.”

“I know that, Marshal,” Sam replied. “But we’ll be fine. We’re tougher than we look. Besides, I don’t know why, but I just have a feeling Miss Kitty is going to need all of us. I hope I’m wrong in that and that we find her safe and secure, but ……”

“Ain’t no *buts* about it, Sam.” Festus stepped up quietly beside the two. “You ain’t wrong, somethin’ is though, and we all know it. Onliest thang we can do is go find her, and see what they is that we need to do to fix it.”

“You’re right about that, Festus,” Doc stepped up beside them. “And we can’t do that, sitting around here all day.”

Matt looked, in amazement and fondness, at his friends. He knew they each loved Kitty, in their own ways, as much as he did. But they weren’t there, simply because of that. They were there for him as well, and for that he doubted he’d ever be able to tell them how grateful he was.

“Well, gentlemen” Matt said, as he drained his cup and stiffly got to his feet. “Let’s get this show on the road.”

MKDFSMKDFSMKDFSMKDFSMKDFS

Part 6

Morning came hard to Kitty Russell. Her back hurt from sitting on the floor, leaning against the wall. She had sat there all night with her arms wrapped around her legs, trying for as much warmth as she could get.

Even if she’d had blankets she would not have laid on the horrible little cot. Heaven only knew what it was infested with.

Since Mathison’s visit, the afternoon before, she had neither seen nor heard anyone in the building with her. She wasn’t sure if that was good or bad.

Though grateful not to have to deal with Mathison or Jarvis, she did question what was going on. From previous experience she knew arrests, trials and sentencing in Mathison County, normally only took a few hours. In some cases even less time. But not in her case, and it made her wonder why.

Getting stiffly to her feet, she rubbed her arms briskly, and looked disgustedly at the chamber pot. She needed to go in the worst way, but she wasn’t sure she could bring herself to use the vile thing. However, the longer she stood there, the more she realized she had no choice.

Straining her ears for any sign of someone coming, she finally pulled up her skirts and relieved herself, shuddering as she did. She could deal with them not feeding her, she could even stand going without water for a while longer, but this was horrible, and she prayed she wouldn’t be forced to use that revolting thing again.

Unfortunately her prayers weren’t answered, as the morning wore into the noon hour and that wore into the afternoon. No one, as far as she knew, had come near the jail, and that included the erstwhile Sherriff Jarvis.

Finally as afternoon began to turn into evening, Jarvis came in bearing a tray of stew and a cup of water. “Mr. Mathison said since you’re gonna be our ‘guest’ for a while, I was to feed you.” He grumped.

Kitty didn’t reply, and didn’t move a muscle as he slid the tray in through the rectangular opening on the bottom of the cell door. She didn’t trust Jarvis in the slightest.

When he finally backed away a step from the door, Kitty moved forward, towards the tray. Though she wasn’t sure she was hungry for the unsavory smelling stew, her thirst had risen to epic proportions.

However just as she reached for the cup, Jarvis reached through the bars and grabbed her wrist. “You’re trial’s gonna be the mornin’ after tomorrow when the Judge gets back to town” he leered at her. “You and me could maybe take some comfort in each other till then. Huh? I could maybe make things a little easier on you here, and on the way to the prison.”

Kitty quivered at the idea. “Prison is sounding better and better,” she replied calmly, jerking her wrist out of his grasp. “I’m sure I’ll meet a much better class of people there.” She didn’t ask how he knew she would be convicted. That was a foregone conclusion from the moment the drummer sat down beside her in the café.

Jarvis gave her a predatory smile as he reached back in and grabbed the tray, pulling it back out of the cell. Kitty snagged the cup before the tray disappeared. She didn’t miss the horrible smelling stew, but she was too thirsty to let the water go.  
“Hope you enjoy that,” he smirked. “It’ll be the last you get for a while.”

Kitty ignored him as she cradled the cup of precious fluid, and stepped as far back from the bars as she could. She wasn’t going to allow him any more chances.

Giving her one more glare, Jarvis turned and left, slamming the outer door behind him.

Kitty watched him go with a mixture of joy and dread. If Matt didn’t show up soon, she would have to ride to the prison with that man, and she doubted he would make it easy on her.

MKDFSMKDFSMKDFS

The next morning dawned even colder and harder for Kitty as she had spent another night on the floor. Much to her surprise the previous evening, Jarvis had come back an hour after leaving, bringing more of the nasty looking stew and another cup of water. He even emptied the dreaded chamber pot. He didn’t say a word to her, but from the look on his face, she guessed it wasn’t his choice to do so.

Looking over at the tray still sitting on the floor, Kitty thought briefly about eating some of the stew she had refused the night before. She hadn’t eaten now in over two days and her stomach was grumbling, but just looking at the slop in the bowl made her nauseous.

There was still a swallow of water though, and she drank it eagerly, grateful for the moisture.

Putting the cup back down, she shoved the tray back out of the slot at the bottom of the door and turned to the window.   
From what Jarvis had said, she had one more day in this hell hole. One more day to sit and wait and worry.

Her best guess was that Jarvis would be coming for her early tomorrow. He had said the judge was coming back to town in the morning.

She was half surprised Mathison hadn’t appointed an interim judge, to fill in, and sentence her quickly. But she was grateful that he hadn’t. His failure in that, had hopefully given time for Matt to get there.

If he was in town, and got the wire.

If he wasn’t ordered to attend another trial, or take off after some outlaw.

“NO!” She forced herself away from those thoughts.

Her despair over her circumstances was trying to make her doubt the only sure thing she knew.

Matt loved her.

Matt would be coming.

He had to.

She had to believe that.

She had to.

She heard someone coming, and looked over at the door.

Jarvis walked up staring at, first her, then the untouched stew. “Guess the food weren’t to your liking?” he sneered.   
Kitty glared at him biting her tongue to keep quiet.

“I could get you something better.” He offered. “That is if you wanted to change your mind and be a little friendlier.” His eyes slid slowly up and down her body leaving no doubt what he had in mind.

“I’d just as soon be ‘friendly’ with a polecat.” She said thru gritted teeth.

“Why, you ain’t nothing but a…… I could make you…. “ he sputtered, angry at being rebuffed again.

“What I am, is a woman who will scratch your eyes out if you so much as try it.” She kept her gaze even and steady.

Jarvis positively radiated hatred as he grabbed the tray from the floor, turned and left. He was bigger than she was, and she was his prisoner, and yet he was just a little afraid of her. Why he didn’t rightly know himself. But he was.

Kitty watched him leave knowing he wouldn’t return anytime soon. She would have to spend another day in the grimy little cell alone, praying for Matt to come.

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As stated, theft of a pocket watch would’ve been deemed Petit Larceny. First Degree Theft only applied if the item stolen was worth over $10,000.00. I doubt the drummer’s watch was worth that. He didn’t look rich to me at all. ;)

Part 7

The next morning found Kitty tired, hungry and thirsty, but she doubted she would be given a remedy for any of those conditions.   
Hearing footsteps, she looked up.

Jarvis stood at the door of the cell. “It’s time to meet the judge.” He said, with an evil glint. “Let’s go.”

Kitty took a deep breath, and stepped to the door, wincing at the sharply painful sting of the irons as Jarvis tightly snapped them on her wrists.

Holding her head high, she walked along beside Jarvis, knowing she had no choice but to let Bob Mathison have his way in this.  
For now.

As Kitty had expected, the trial was short and the verdict sure. Guilty of Theft in the First Degree.

Lowther, when called to testify, told the court that he had taken out his watch and laid it on the table for a moment, when he dropped a fork. He claimed when he rose back up, the watch was gone, and Miss Russell was exiting the restaurant in a hurry.

Jarvis testified as to how he had found the watch in her handbag, and she had offered no explanation as to how it came to be there.

Kitty of course had no defense. She didn’t even have a defense lawyer. But she didn’t object. She knew it would do no good.

Bob Mathison had an agenda to keep and nothing she said, or did, would change that. Besides, she reminded herself, Matt was coming. Her faith was in him, not in the Mathison County justice system.

Stoically, she stood when told to do so, and listened quietly as she was deemed guilty of theft in the first degree, and sentenced to 5 years in Statesville Prison

The sentence was a harsh one.

In most states the theft of that watch, had she been guilty, would’ve been deemed petit larceny, punishable by 1 year in jail and a one dollar fine.

Mathison had made his point.

No one crossed him and got by with it.

The judge asked the prisoner if she had anything to say, before she was transported to the prison.

“Just one thing,” she said, looking him and Mathison in the eyes. “You’re going to wish you hadn’t done this.”

“What’s that supposed to mean woman?” the judge asked irritably. “Are you threatening the bench?”

“I don’t make threats.” She replied evenly, her gaze never wavering and the corners of her mouth turning up ever so slightly.   
“That will be one year more on your sentence.” The judge sneered. “Do you have anything else to say?”

Kitty glared at him. “No,” she replied, as Jarvis grabbed her arm dragging her out of the courtroom and down to the stable.  
“Might as well get you on to the prison.” He said gruffly, pushing her ahead of him into the barn.

Kitty’s eyes widened. “Don….don’t you have to wait…for ..papers or something?” She knew things would go quickly, but this was a bit too quickly. She was hoping to allow Matt a little more time.  
“Already got the papers.” He said, as he went into adjacent stalls and pulled out two horses, already saddled and outfitted for the trip.  
Wearily, Kitty shook her head. She should’ve known. The trial was a mere formality. The wait wasn’t for the judge, but for the paperwork, and so that the prison could be notified that she was coming.

“I don’t have riding clothes on.” She pointed out. “Riding a horse is going to be….. kinda difficult.”

“Well now, ain’t that too bad.” Jarvis smirked. “Maybe you shoulda thought on that afore you stole that watch.”

Despite her warning to herself, Kitty’s temper flared. “I didn’t steal that watch and you know it. This is all a sham. You and your boss are just mad because you didn’t get your way in Dodge last year.”

“Like I said,” he sneered, “too bad.” He shoved her up against one of the horses and reached to help her up.

“I can do it myself,” she said, stubbornly refusing to let him touch her any more than necessary. Though her long dress and the irons made it difficult, she managed to hoist herself onto the horse, hooking her feet in the stirrups.

Jarvis, mounted his own steed, grabbed her reins and led the way south out town. “I think I’m gonna enjoy this trip.” He leered over at her. “May even have to go a little slower so’s you and me can spend a little time together before we get there, if you know what I mean.” 

Kitty swallowed hard. She knew all too well what Jarvis meant. “Over my dead body.” She said.

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Kitty sat miserably astride her mount, outside the gates of the prison, waiting as Jarvis spoke to the guard to gain access. Briefly, she thought about spurring her horse and running for it. Only her horse was as tired as she was, and Jarvis had a gun, the reins to her horse and the keys to her irons.

She sat and waited, reminding herself constantly that Matt would come for her. She figured she could endure anything as long as she knew that.

And she had already endured quite a bit.

*****mk*****

Though the trip to the prison was only a day and a half ride, it had been the longest day and a half she could remember for some time. Jarvis had kept his distance while they rode, but his demeanor had changed once they had camped the previous night.

After helping her off her horse, he had tied her to a tree while he tended to the horses and made a rudimentary camp. With that finished, he leered over at her bound form, and licked his lips hungrily. 

Kitty knew what was coming, and tied as she was, with her hands behind her around the tree, she wasn’t sure what she could do, but she sure wasn’t going to go down without a fight.

Warily she watched him approach, and waited for him to be at the just right angle in front of her. Suddenly she kicked her right foot out and connected just between his legs. 

Letting out a groan, he clasped his hands in front of what, he considered, to be his most precious assets and collapsed in a groan to the ground. 

Kitty knew she would be in for it now if she didn’t do something more.

Even as Jarvis fell, he was trying to get back to his feet but Kitty kicked him again, hard as she could, before he knew what was happening. This time she managed to connect with his lower right side.

Jarvis stayed down for a while. When he did finally get up, he moved away from her and closer to the fire. Throwing glares in her direction.

“You try anything else” Kitty warned “I’ll kick harder.”

He didn’t try anything else for the rest of the night, but Kitty had kept a vigil till morning, none the less.   
She had almost wished they were at the prison already.

*****mk*****

Jarvis finished with the guard, walked up beside her, and reached up, placing his hand intimately on her thigh. She squirmed away from his touch, causing him to grin. “Once you get inside there, you’ll wish ya was back with me.” He told her.

Kitty gave him a scathing look. “I’d ruther be in hell than with you.” She replied.

Jarvis chuckled. “You will be.” He chuckled. “Trust me on that one.”

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Before you ask, I checked and couldn’t find a woman’s prison in Missouri during this time period. It wasn’t until sometime later that the concept of a prison for women only took hold.

Part 8

The four friends from Dodge sat atop their mounts on a high ridge looking down over Mathison Township.

“You sure, Sam?” Doc questioned. “They convicted Kitty of stealing?”

Since Sam’s face was the least known among them, he had volunteered to ride down into town and ask questions. The answers he had gotten weren’t the ones they had hoped for.

“Yes, sir,” Sam answered. “The man in the mercantile kinda reminded me of Mr. Jonas. Didn’t take but just a couple of questions and he told me everything. He said Miss Kitty was caught red handed with a whiskey drummers watch in her purse, and was tried and convicted of First Degree Theft.”

Doc looked curiously over at Matt. “Is there even such thing as First Degree Theft?” he asked him.

Matt nodded his head. “Yes, though in Kansas it wouldn’t apply in this case, but you have to remember we’re not in Kansas. We’re in Mathison County, Missouri, and the rules are different here.”

Doc nodded grimly at that. “Well, did this Jonas twin tell you where Kitty’s at now?” he asked Sam.

Sam nodded unhappily. “He said she was sentenced to six years in Statesville Prison, and that Sheriff Jarvis took her there, two days ago.”

Matt’s face turned ashen. He had never been to Statesville but he knew people, who had, as both prisoner and Lawman. The place wasn’t a prison, it was a hell hole, where men and occasionally an unfortunate woman, were locked up like animals and treated worse. His heart ached at the thought of Kitty in a place like that.

“Sheriff Jarvis?” Festus was flummoxed. “Wall that two-bit yahoo weren’t good enough to be a bounty hunter. He shore ain’t smart enough to be no Sheriff.”

“I don’t think smarts was what Mathison was looking for when he hired him for the job, Festus.” Matt said. “He just wanted someone to follow orders and be as vile as possible.”

Doc took a swipe of his mustache. “Well he got that alright. So what are we going to do, Matt? I mean, I have no doubt Kitty was innocent, but she was still convicted legally and sentenced legally. I can guarantee you Mathison made sure of that.”

Matt looked around at his companions. “I don’t care whether it was legal or not.” He said. “And you all don’t have to go any further if you don’t want. But I’m going after Kitty.”

“Matthew, ain’t gonna be easy to get her out that there prison.” Festus pointed out.

Matt nodded. “I know, but I don’t care. If I have to break that prison open at the seams, I’m going to get her out of there.”  
Doc looked at him in amazement for a moment, as did Sam and Festus. “Matt, anything you do like that would be against the law.”  
“I know, Doc.” Matt replied grimly. “But do you know anything else I can do?”

MKDFSMKDFSMKDFS

Four weary men rode hard across the relatively foreign landscape of Missouri. Though all of them, at one time or another, had passed through that part of the country, it wasn’t home.

It wasn’t Dodge.

But Kitty was here, and they weren’t leaving this place till they had her back with them.

There was little in the way of conversation between them, but little was needed. Each knew the mission, and each was determined to carry out their part of it.

When Matt finally reined in, the other three followed suit, pulling up close to hear his plans for what would happen next.

“Prison’s just up ahead.” Matt stated. “We go any closer and they’ll see us.”

“Ya been here afore have ya, Matthew?” Festus asked.

“No. But I’ve heard enough about it to know I’m not leaving Kitty in there.” Matt replied tersely.

Sam sat beside the other three men staring silently at the trail ahead. He had been up that trail, once, many years ago. He had gone as a prisoner and come out a haunted man. He didn’t want Miss Kitty in there either, and he, like the Marshal was willing to do whatever it took to get her out.

“You have any idea how to get her out of there, Matt?” Doc questioned. “I mean, she could be anywhere in there and that’s a big prison.

“I know Doc, and I’ve been trying to figure that out.” Matt answered.

“Could I make a suggestion, Marshal?” Sam asked.

All eyes turned to him. “I bet, if you took one of us in there as a prisoner, they’d take us right to the Warden’s office. Surely from there we could find out where Miss Kitty is.”

“No, Sam.” Matt disagreed. “I’m going in alone. You three are already mixed up in this enough,”

‘Won’t work, Matt.” Doc spoke up. “You going in alone would be suspicious. I’m sure Mathison informed the warden here that Kitty was connected to you, and he’ll be on the lookout for you.”

“Sides, Matthew,” Festus said, “we ain’t lettin’ you hold us out. We come this fer, we’re in fer everything.”

Matt looked around gratefully at his friends. “Alright,” he finally nodded. “Then we use Sam’s idea, only I’m going in as the prisoner. One of you can bring me in, and I’ll look for her once I’m inside.”

“That sounds reasonable, Matt.” Doc said. “But once you find her how do you plan on getting her out?”

“That won’t be too hard.” Sam spoke up again. “I’ll explain everything to you all later, I promise, but for now just trust me. I know what we need to do to get Miss Kitty out of there.”

Once again all eyes turned towards him, and the men listened to the only plan Matt could think of, that might work.

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While I have sung in a prison a few times (Mission trips I swear) I have never been sentenced to one so I have no idea what proper procedures are in one.

Part 9

Kitty nervously paced round and round in the little room they had placed her in. Though the room was outfitted with two small barred windows, they were too high upon the wall for her to see out of. 

But the windows had provided adequate light in the room for her to see, and what she saw was disheartening.

A small white washed room with a single bed, a small table beside it with a lamp on it, and rope burns on the head board.

Little had been said to her, when Jarvis escorted her in and presented her at Warden Payne’s office. But by the lecherous look on the warden’s face, she had an idea what he had in mind, and why she was placed in this room, just down the hall from his office.

The thought made her physically ill.

On her first day they had escorted her to this room, given her a plain sack type dress and ordered to completely strip and put the dress on. She had followed instructions except for her undergarments. She refused to remove those and was mildly surprised that they didn’t force the issue.

Once her clothes and jewelry had been confiscated she was left in the room and the door locked. Every day she expected someone to appear and either take her to the warden or place in her in a cell or something. But no one had come.

She had been there for two days and no one had come so far except the guard who brought her the meals she ate very little of.  
There was a possibility that they wouldn’t do anything to her. But she knew better. She had been placed into this room for a reason.

She heard a key being turned in the lock on the door, and it opened to reveal a weasel faced guard in a too tight uniform with a scar above his left eye. “Come with me.” He ordered pointing a pistol at her.

Startled, Kitty did as ordered. Right then she had no choice. He had a gun, she did not.

The guard escorted her quickly down the hall, and opened the door to Payne’s private office, shoving her inside.

The warden, sitting king like behind his giant mahogany desk, grinned leeringly at her as she walked in. She hadn’t liked the looks of the obese, balding man when she had first seen him, and time away from him had made her no fonder.

With bulging eyes, square nose and thick lips he reminded her of a pig ready for roasting. The only thing missing was the apple in his mouth.

“Come in, my dear.” He said. “Have a seat.”

Kitty didn’t reply. Warily she watched him from the doorway, unwilling to move any further into the room.

The warden noticed her reticence. “Sit down, Miss Russell.” His tone suddenly changed to that of a commander, who was used to getting his way and displeased when he didn’t.

The guard behind her pushed her further into the room, and towards the chair in front of the warden’s desk.

“Thank you, Hobson.” The warden said. “You may leave us now.”

Hobson nodded, brushed dirty blond hair out of his face and turned, leaving quickly and shutting the door firmly behind him.   
Kitty still remained standing, even though her common sense told her not to try and push this man very far.

‘I said sit down, Miss Russell.” The warden arched his brow and his tone.

Kitty sat down.

“I meant to meet with you before now, but running a prison the size of this one is not an easy job. I had other things to contend with while I decided just exactly what to do with you.”

Kitty made no comment as she guardedly watched the rotund man chomp on his cigar and waft through the papers on his desk.  
“I reviewed the papers Sherriff Jarvis brought with him.” He told her. “It appears you have a bit of a problem holding your tongue. According to these,” he jabbed his thumb on the papers in front of him, “you were given an extra year here because of that.”

Kitty held her tongue then, waiting for the vile man in front of her to tell her what he had planned for her future at Statesville. Although, she already had a pretty good idea what that was.

Noticing her silence, he smirked. “I see you can keep your silence when you want to hmmmm? Well good, I have decided what will be required of you here, Miss Russell, and believe me; it will be in your best interest to keep your mouth shut unless you’re told to speak.”

Kitty’s blood ran cold, as her mind reviewed all the things that could mean.

“Did you like the room you placed in?” he asked her casually.

“What do you mean?” Kitty asked, not sure why that would matter.

“My question was clear, Miss Russell. Did you like the room you were placed in?”

Kitty swallowed hard. “It…..uh…it was okay.” She answered.

“Just okay?” he looked at her quizzically. “You’ve been in there now for two days and it’s just okay? I hoped you might get to like that room.”

Kitty doubted she would ever ‘get to like’ anything, or anyone there.

“Perhaps you would prefer I place you in one of our regular cells? They’re a little larger than that room, but you would have to share it with other inmates..... and….uh….. since we don’t have any other females at the moment it would be only male inmates…..” he let that thought linger for a moment.

Kitty fought hard to keep the fear from showing, swallowing even harder. She knew what he was suggesting. “You..uh…mean if I cooperate with you, than I can have that charming little room instead of a cell?” she said, trying to quell the nausea that thought gave her.

The warden rose from his seat and walked around, resting his considerable bulk against the edge of his desk, close to her chair. “You are a very smart woman.” He murmured as he moved in closer.

Kitty instinctively cringed and pulled back looking for a way to avoid the kiss he was most assuredly going to force on to her.

The warden cupped her chin, leaning in even more as he reached for her chest with his other hand.  
Until the door banged open

MKDFSMKDFSMKDFSMKDFSMKDFS

I’m not a dynamite expert, so I have no idea if this is right or not but it always works in the movies.

Part 10

And Sam marched in, wearing his brown coat, a stern expression and Matt’s badge, dragging a seemingly shackled Matt in with him.  
The beleaguered guard, with a harried expression on his mottled face was coming in with them, protesting heavily at the intrusion.

“What’s the meaning of this, Hobson?” The warden demanded, glaring at his guard, then the intruders.

“Sir, I’m sorry.” Hobson gasped. “I couldn’t stop them.”

“No he couldn’t.” Sam growled, in a voice Kitty had only heard him use on drunken cowhands that had gotten a little too rough in the saloon.

“Name’s Marshal Sam Matthews.” Sam said, in his deepest baritone. “I’m out of Arkansas. This is Adam Haggen. I was told to deliver him here, Arkansas don’t want him.” Sam studiously avoided eye contact with Kitty, focusing solely on Payne.

Matt kept his head down, afraid if he looked at Kitty, his feelings for her would be all too clear. Kitty likewise tried to act as though she didn’t know either man, while at the same time her heart was pounding furiously in her chest to see them there. 

She had expected Matt, but Sam was a welcome surprise. She was glad he wasn’t alone, though she wondered why Sam was there instead of Festus or Newly.

“Haggen?” Warden Payne ran the name over in his mind. “Never heard of him. Never got any paperwork for him anyway, and I need paperwork on my prisoners.”

“Well, that’s not my problem.” Sam bullied. “I was told to bring him here and I did. What you do with him and how you get your papers, is your problem.”

Sam turned as to leave but the Warden stopped him, as Sam expected. “You can’t leave him here. I have no idea who he is. I have no paperwork on him!”

Sam stepped back to Payne just as an explosion was heard, and the building shook slightly.

Payne’s mouth dropped open. “What the he…..”

Another explosion was heard, this one was closer. The door flew open, and Hobson practically fell into the room. “Warden,” he yelled, in the first real excitement he could remember at the prison. “They’re attacking!”

“Who…?” Payne’s question was stopped by yet another explosion. This one even closer.

Kitty, who had jumped at the first explosion, looked over to Sam and Matt, who were both standing calmly, as though waiting for something. 

When the third explosion was heard, Sam suddenly grabbed her by the arm, and shoved her towards Matt.

Kitty watched in wonder as the shackles fell from the “prisoner’s” wrists and Matt grabbed her hand pulling her urgently towards the exit.

Payne saw Matt reaching for Kitty, and yelled. “You there, stop!” 

Matt ignored him but Sam didn’t. Before the fat oaf of a man could move a step, Sam drew back his fist and struck out with all the force he had in his muscular arms.

Payne’s eyes rolled back into his head and he fell backward, hitting his head on the desk as he fell. “You won’t beat anyone else for a while.” Sam said, as he watched him fall.

Hobson, who had been temporarily stunned at the unexpected turn of events, finally made a bleating noise and started to retreat, seeking reinforcements to help him deal with something totally out of his range of expertise.

He didn’t even make the door.

Matt grabbed his arm, yanked him back into the room and backhanded him. Hobson flew back against the wall hitting his head, and sliding liquidly down the wall.

“Let’s get out of here!” Matt yelled as he took Kitty’s left arm.

Sam whirled around and grabbing her right arm, and he and Matt ran, almost carrying her through the sporadic gunfire of confused guards, and the well-aimed explosions of dynamite, being lobbed into the prison yard by one very accurate hill man and doctor.

Kitty’s feet barely touched the ground as Matt and Sam, on either side, hustled her across the prison yard, now pockmarked with craters created by the still arriving dynamite sticks.

Though God only knew how, the trio had finally reached safety through gates now busted wide open, one gate barely hanging by one weakened hinge.

As astonished as Kitty was by the appearance of Matt and Sam in the warden’s office, she was even more so when past the entryway of the prison, she saw Doc sitting astride a horse next to Festus, waiting on them.

But she had no time to question it as Matt practically leapt upon Buck’s back and Sam lifted her up to sit in front of Matt.

Once Sam was mounted, Festus lobbed one more stick of well-aimed dynamite on to the prison’s grounds, and the five rode quickly away.  
TBC


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kitty Russell was tried and convicted of a crime she did not commit. But Matt and her family from Dodge refused to leave her in prison. The adventure continues after her prison break.

The Fugitives 11 thru 20

I don’t own these characters; I just like to spend time with them. No other profit to be had.

Author’s note: Mathison County in MO is completely fictional, therefore anything that occurs and the terrain it occurs in, is purely imaginary.

I must also give high praise and thanks to LadyBrit for her advice on all things medical. 

MKDFSMKDFSMKDFSMKDFSMKDFS

Evening came, and the weary quintet finally pulled their worn out mounts to a stop.

“Ya figger we’s fer enuf from that there prison, Matthew?” Festus asked, looking uneasily behind him.

Matt glanced behind as well, but the moonless dark prevented much of a view. “Well, I don’t know, Festus. But we’ve gone as far as we can for now. These horses are about done in.” He looked down at the exhausted redhead in his arms. “What you say, Miss Russell? Like to get off of this horse for a while?”

Kitty smiled tiredly up at him. “I sure would.” 

Matt looked around them and saw a small flat area near the rock faced bluff they had been traveling beside. “Over there.” He pointed.

With the last of their strength, both humans and animals trod over to the site. Matt swiftly dismounted then reached up and grasped Kitty by the waist, pulling her down into his arms.

For a moment, neither one moved as Kitty laid her head on Matt’s chest and sighed. “Matt,” she said “I…..”

Matt bent down and quickly brushed a kiss across her lips. “We’ll talk about it all later.” He said softly. “Right now, I want you to go over there and sit down and rest, while we get the horses taken care of and a camp set up.”

Kitty nodded resignedly and started over towards a large rock, as Matt walked buck over to where the other men were and began to unsaddle his horse.

When the animals were finally attended to, Matt and the others, grabbed their saddle bags, and headed over to where Kitty sat by a small stack of kindling and dry wood. 

“Any body got a match?” she asked. “I’ve got the makings of a good fire here.”

Matt grinned as he handed her a couple of matches. “I thought I told you to rest.”

“I am resting,” she replied “and while resting I gathered some firewood. It is okay we have a fire isn’t? I mean it’s probably gonna be cold tonight but if…..”

Matt shook his head and sat down beside her, wrapping his arm around her and pulling her into his side. “It’s fine,” he said. “At least for tonight. You okay?”

She nodded against his chest. “I am now,” she clarified “but I am a little mystified. What happened today? How did you all know where I was? Why….?”

Matt hugged her tighter for a moment as he lightly chuckled. “I told you we’d tell you everything and we will, but let’s finish getting camp set up and something fixed to eat okay?”

Kitty nodded again and reluctantly released him, as he rose and grabbed his saddlebags where he’d dropped them, and began to pull out a coffee pot and cups.

In no time, the fire was going with coffee, beans and biscuits ready to consume. The five exhausted travelers sat around eating and talking.

“Miss Kitty,” Festus said sincerely, after Kitty had told them what had happened to her since she set foot in Mathison Township. “I sure am glad ol’ Matthew and Sam here got to ya, afore that there warden yahoo had a chance to do nothing.”

Kitty nodded, “Me too, Festus.” She said. “But you all still haven’t told me how you knew I needed you, or even where I was.”  
Though it took a while, each man explained to Kitty how they had come to be there and why.

“You mean all of you rode out of Dodge in search of me, simply because of a feeling?” She was more than just a little amazed at them. Especially Matt and Doc. The man of science and the man of law seldom let feelings play a large part in their actions.

“It’s hard to explain it, Kitty,” Doc said, “but that’s what we did. I guess there are just some things that you have to do, whether you can explain it or not.”

“But what about your practice, Doc, and your badge, Matt? You know, you all broke the law when you took me out of there.”

“Yes we did,” Matt answered “or at least Mathison’s law but that’s not important right now. We just were not going to let you stay there. I’ll tell you what though, I sure was glad when we walked in and found you in that office. I didn’t look forward to the prospect of searching that prison.” Matt looked down at Kitty and drew her a little tighter to his side. “But I would’ve done it till I found you. I’ve heard some horrible things about that place, and I wasn’t leaving you there.”

Kitty smiled gratefully at his admission for a moment, then looked over at Sam who had said the least. “You’ve more than just heard about that place haven’t you Sam?” she asked softly. Sam had told her some about his past, years before when he first started working for her. But it had never made a difference in the way she treated him, which was part of the reason Sam cared so much for her.

“Yes Ma’am,” he replied sadly. Looking around at the curious faces surrounding him, Sam realized he needed to tell his friends exactly how he knew what he did about the prison and the Warden. But he also realized the telling wasn’t going to be easy for them, or himself.

“It was a long time ago,” he began “I was a young man with a heavy responsibility, and I handled it badly.”

All ears and eyes on were on him, as Sam cleared his throat, took another sip of coffee and began.

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Part 12

“I was in my early twenties, with a wife and a beautiful little girl. I had a job, but I was barely making enough money to keep a roof over our heads, much less provide everything we needed. My wife wanted to help me, offered to take in washing or sewing or even try and get a job herself but she couldn’t. Ever since our daughter was born she’d been sickly, she just had no strength.”

Sam looked around him expecting to see pity in his friend’s eyes but he saw compassion and curiosity instead. Encouraged, he went on.

“Anyway, I wouldn’t let her work, but as I said I wasn’t making much money by myself. I tried to get a second job but, well, we lived in a real small town and there just wasn’t anything else. I was lucky to be working at all.”

“Wall, what’d ya do Sam?” Festus asked, taking note of the sadness in Sam’s tone of voice.

Sam looked up mournfully at him for a moment and shrugged his shoulders. “Everything I could, Festus. It wasn’t enough when things were going good. But then it got worse. Like I told you my wife never really regained her strength after our daughter, Sarah was born. I wanted to take her to a doctor but the town we lived in didn’t have one and we didn’t have the money for me to take her to Mathison Township and see the doctor there.”

Sam bowed his head, trying to keep the threatening tears at bay as the memory of his wife and daughter swept over him.  
Kitty got up and moved over to sit close to him, wrapping her arm around his shoulders. “Sam, you don’t have to go on if you don’t want to.” She cared a great deal for Sam and hated to see the pain that his tortured memories evoked.

Sam shook his head. “No, Miss Kitty,” he said, “I’d like to finish. I’ve kept it inside for so long; I think it might help to talk about it.”  
Kitty gave him another reassuring hug.

Sam sniffled slightly then staring into the fire, continued his tale. “Anyway, what ever was wrong with Laura, that was my wife’s name, what ever was wrong, she kept getting worse. And because she was so ill, she couldn’t nurse or properly take care of Sarah. I got desperate. I was working in the general store as a clerk, and part of my job was locking up at night. One night as I was putting the cash in the safe I just…. well I guess I just snapped.”

Sam halted for a moment, his cheeks reddened at the memory of his dishonesty in a moment of weakness. “Laura had a bad spell that day and…. I just kept thinking that if only we had some money……..anyway I….. I stole the money from the cash box.”

Sam looked up, but the expressions on his friend’s faces hadn’t changed. He still saw the same caring and concern and compassion. Kitty continued to keep to her arms around him, instead of shrinking back in disgust from a thief.

“I assume you got caught.” Doc said, not unkindly. “Got sentenced to Statesville?”

Sam nodded. “Yes sir. After I took the money, I went back to the shack we were renting, gathered up Laura and Sarah and rode for Mathison Township, to the doctor. It didn’t take much figuring on anyone’s part to know who stole the money, and they come after me. The trial was short and I was sentenced to 2 years for theft. Judge said it would’ve been longer, except they got all the money back and I didn’t hurt nobody when I took the money.”

Kitty sniffed back a tear at the terrible hand that had been dealt to Sam. “Oh, Sam…”

Sam patted the arm she still had around him, then reached to wipe away his own tears.

“What happened to yer wife and yer youngin’, Sam?” Festus asked, softly.

Sam stared into the fire for a moment before replying. “Laura died while I was in prison.” He said, so sadly and softly they had to strain, almost, to hear his words. “The baby was placed in an orphanage. I didn’t know where she was. I tried to find her when I got out, but I couldn’t find anybody who would tell me anything. I looked hard for her though.”

Though Sam had once told her he had been in trouble as a young man, this was the first time Kitty had heard the sad details. Seeing a haunted look come into his eyes at the loss of his daughter, her heart broke for him.

“I guess I’d still be looking for her, if it hadn’t been for a man named Randall Taylor. He was the judge that sentenced me to prison. Took pity on me I guess. Anyway he found out what happened to Sarah, and told me my daughter had been adopted to a wealthy family somewhere and was healthy and happy. He wouldn’t tell me where she was, but I realized finally it didn’t matter. I knew I couldn’t give her more than she already had so I let it go.”

Sam looked pointedly down at Kitty. “I guess I’d still be roaming, except when I got to Dodge, things changed for me. You trusted me, Miss Kitty, and you gave me a chance a lot of other people wouldn’t have. I finally felt like I had found a home and a sort of family.”

With a mighty effort Sam straightened, and raised his head to look around at the others, before settling his gaze back on Kitty. “That’s why when I heard they had taken you to Statesville; I knew we couldn’t leave you in there. I know what kind of place that is, and what kind of man the warden is. He was the head guard when I was there. But he was cruel and mean then, and I doubt he got any better. I wouldn’t want to see anyone put in there, especially you, Miss Kitty.”

Sam looked over at Matt. “And that’s why I bought the dynamite sticks. I knew we’d have to have something pretty big to distract them, so we could get Miss Kitty out of there.”

Doc tugged at his ear. “Well I’m glad that store had dynamite, but what if they hadn’t?”

Sam grinned slightly. “I’m a barman, Doc.” He said. “Some bottles of cheap whiskey and some clothe would’ve done almost as good a job.”

A smile passed across Doc’s face. “I guess it would at that.”

“Well, whether whiskey or dynamite, doesn’t matter.” Matt said. “The important thing is, thanks to you, Sam, we did get Kitty out of there.”

Kitty reached up and kissed Sam lightly on the cheek, then rose and went back over to sit beside Matt, accepting his embrace gratefully. “I’m awful grateful for that, Matt.” She sighed. “But what happens now? You know they’ll be coming after us.”

Matt nodded, looking around at his friends faces for confirmation and finding it. “Yeah, they’ll be coming. And we’ll do our best to stay out of their clutches until we can prove you’re innocent.”

“But how?” Kitty asked, unable to see any light at the end of the tunnel besides a train. 

Matt gently squeezed her. “I don’t know, honey,” He said. “But we will.”

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Part 13

“THEY WHAT!!!!” Bob Mathison all but screamed. His ruddy face was now even redder than his hair, as he pounded his fist in anger on the desk in front of him. 

Jarvis had just delivered the wire from the prison, informing him that Kitty had been broken out of prison, with the aid of at least two men and probably many more. According to the wire she and her accomplices had made a clean get away. Warden Payne, as well as his guard Hobson, both suffered concussions in the attack but were otherwise okay.

“Has Payne made any attempt to go after them?” Mathison demanded furiously. 

“Wire don’t say.” Jarvis said. “Knowing Payne, probably not. I got my horse being saddled and as soon as I pick up some supplies, I’ll head out myself. I’ll go to the prison and get some men and see if I can pick up their trail.”

Mathison nodded. “Good, just make sure you get that woman and her friends back here. I will not have her embarrass me again.” Unconsciously he rubbed his left arm, remembering his humiliation at being shot by Matt Dillon, and having Steven Downing taken from him, before he could make the boy pay for killing his wife.

Jarvis saved his reply as he turned and headed out. He wasn’t sure he’d be able to find the escapees trail or even be able to take them if he did, no matter how many men he had with him. But he wasn’t about to tell that to Mathison.

Mathison didn’t enjoy being told that he couldn’t have what he wanted. And now, more than ever, Mathison wanted Kitty Russell’s head on a spit, along with who ever had helped her escape.

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Matt woke before dawn the next morning, cold, still tired and with a sleeping red head on his left arm. Curled into a ball at his side and huddled under her blanket, Matt hated to wake her, but he knew they needed to be going. They couldn’t afford the luxury of resting for too long.

Gently he shook her, until sapphire eyes opened to peer at him. “Morning,” she smiled up at him.

Matt reached over and tenderly kissed her. “Good morning. How are you feeling?”

Kitty stretched then slowly sat up. “I’m cold and stiff,” she acknowledged, “but as long as I’m with you, and away from Statesville, I figure I’m just fine.”

Matt sat up beside her and grinned. Looking around at his sleeping traveling companions he took her in another, deeper kiss before pulling away and getting to his feet. “Well, if you want to stay ‘fine’, we’d better get up and get going. I don’t think we can afford to stay in anyone place for too long.”

Kitty nodded sadly. Looking up at him, a look of remorse crossed her beautiful features. “Matt, I’m sorry.” She said.  
“Sorry?” Matt asked, perplexed. “About what? You didn’t do anything wrong.”

Kitty shook her head. “Didn’t I?” she asked, plainly feeling guilty for the predicament they were all in. “If I hadn’t done what I did last year, Mathison wouldn’t have had it in for me, and he wouldn’t have done this. And if I had’ve stayed in Dodge, until you could go with me to St. Louis, maybe I wouldn’t have been traveling through Mathison County, and he wouldn’t have been able to get to me. And maybe……”

Matt knelt back down beside her and gently cupped her chin. “And maybe if the moon was made of green cheese, and we had a way of getting there, no one would go hungry.” He chided her.

“Kitty, you didn’t do anything wrong. Last year you saved Steven Downing’s life. And this year, if I had’ve listened to my gut instead of my badge, I would’ve been with you, and Mathison wouldn’t have been able to do anything.”

“No, Matt,” Kitty pulled his hand from her chin, and tugged him closer. “It’s bad enough I feel guilty. I’m not gonna let you carry that too.”

Matt kissed her on the forehead and stared deeply in her blue depths with an amused glint in his eye. “How about neither of us carry it, and we get a move on?”

Kitty pulled him to her for another kiss and nodded. “Deal.”

After everyone was up and the horses saddled and ready to go, the five fugitives sat around the now dead fire, eating leftover cold biscuits for breakfast. Matt had already advised that from then on, they couldn’t risk drawing attention to their whereabouts with a fire.

“You got any idea where we go from here?” Doc asked.

Matt shook his head, glancing over at the worried expression on Kitty’s face. “For right now, I figure we continue riding south. They’ll probably expect us to head west back to Kansas. It might give us some breathing room.”

Festus looked thoughtful for a moment then stood up. “I figger we done rode about 15 miles from that there prison, don’t you Matthew?”

Matt nodded slowly. “There about, Festus. Why?”

“Wael, I got me some kin lives not too far south from here. Maybe about another day’s ride. We push; we should be able to make it by night fall.”

Matt looked over curiously at him. “I thought your kin was in Texas?”

Festus nodded. “They is but I got family durn near everywhere Matthew. Kin folk I got near here, is headed up by Cousin Eustice. He’d take us in fer as long we’ve a mind ta stay.”

“Cousin Eustice?” Doc questioned, with a slight grin. “That a boy or a girl?”

Festus glared at him for a moment. “Why he’s a he, you old scutter. What’d ya think he was?”

“Well, with the way your family names everyone, I didn’t know.” Doc declared.

Festus’ scowl grew larger. “Why you… what call you got makin’ fun a my kin’s names? Why I oughta…..” Festus stopped when he saw the expression on everyone’s face.

Doc was grinning and Kitty was giggling, as were the others. Which was exactly what Doc was hoping for. 

Scratching his head, Festus shook his head with a grin of his own.

“Well Festus.” Matt said, getting up. “If we’re gonna meet that kin of yours, we’d better get a move on.”

Wearily the five climbed to their feet, mounted and struck off south, hoping to find safety for at least a little while.

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Part 14

Riding for most of the day had been fairly easy for the edgy travelers, but they were now coming into much rougher terrain. On a high narrow trail, with dangerous switchbacks that clung to the side of the hills, with steep drops on the side, they rode cautiously, leery of any sudden moves that could send them hurtling to the bottom of the crevasse. 

Festus, who was in the lead, held up his hand as he pulled Ruth to a sudden stop. “We bess be stoppin’ here.” He called behind him. “Trail’s getting’ awful thin.”

Matt cautiously helped Kitty down, then dismounted himself as did Doc and Sam. “How much further to your cousin’s place?” Matt asked him. 

“Tain’t far, Matthew.” Festus answered, looking carefully over the path in front of him. “Just down the hill and a ways south some. But this here roads just plum bad. Weren’t that rough last time I come through, course that were a while back.”

Matt carefully edged up close to him and scanned the route ahead. “You’re right about the road being bad.” He commented. “I guess we’ll just have to walk single file and lead the horses.” 

“Yesir,” Festus agreed. Taking Ruth’s reins in hand, he gently tugged on the old mule. “Come on boy.” He encouraged the recalcitrant animal.

Matt pulled Kitty in front of him, urging her forward first, before taking Buck’s reins and following along, with Sam and Doc behind him. 

Carefully picking their way down the steep incline, each person nervously cast a wary eye to the ravine, just inches to their right as they walked.

They had reached about half way down, when Kitty’s foot slipped on a loose rock, and she started sliding towards the edge. Holding tightly to Buck’s reins, Matt reached out and grasped her arm, seconds before she would’ve careened down the side and into the rocks below.

“You okay?” he asked, his heart pounding wildly at how close he came to missing her arm.

Kitty nodded with a sickened look on her face, not wanting to think about what came close to happening. “Thanks to you, I am.”  
Matt nodded with a reassuring smile. “Just be careful.” He told her as they started moving forward again.

But they had only gained another few feet when Matt’s left foot stumbled on a rock and, as Kitty had before, he started to slip.

“Matt!” Kitty yelled, reaching for him. But she wasn’t as strong, nor as quick, as he had been, and she missed his arm by inches as he began to tumble down the side of the slope.

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Jarvis arrived at the prison late the next afternoon, bone tired and irritated. Seeing the destruction wrought by the dynamite, he could only imagine how much angrier Mathison was going to be when he heard about it.

The gates had been repaired, but Jarvis could tell they had sustained quite a bit of damage in the assault. Shaking his head, he dismounted and walked in through the gates, ignoring the guard posted there and headed to the Warden’s office. 

The warden was in no mood to receive visitors, but he bucked up and met with Jarvis anyway, knowing Mathison had sent him.  
“I tell you, there must have been at least a dozen men, maybe more. Couldn’t a been any fewer. We were surrounded.” Payne told him. “They hit us so fast and hard, we couldn’t get turned around, before they had that Russell woman out of here and gone.”

“Uh huh,” Jarvis said, not sure he believed the man. “Did you at least send someone after them?”

Payne thought furiously for a moment, before replying. Mathison didn’t like being lied to, even indirectly through his hand-picked Sherriff, but in this case he wouldn’t like the truth either.

“Of course I sent people after them,” he replied earnestly, “but they couldn’t find their tracks. Couldn’t find any sign what so ever of which direction they took.”

Jarvis knew the man was lying. “How many men did you say it took to break her out?” he asked.

“Well, like I said,” Payne said uncertainly “at least a dozen.” He saw his mistake too late.

“A dozen men,” Jarvis sneered, his voice rising, “and you’re telling me, your guards were so incompetent, they couldn’t find the tracks of that many horses in soft soil?”

Payne looked helplessly around the empty room, and nervously swallowed the lump in his throat, before looking back up at Jarvis. “Well… I uh…. they said…..”

“Never mind,” Jarvis waved him off. “I know the answer to that. And I know what Bob will say, but right now that’s not important. I need a fresh horse, some supplies and some men. And you’re going to supply them now. Understand?”

Payne nodded fearfully and got up from his desk. He would do anything Jarvis, and by extension Mathison, wanted because he knew more than just his job was at stake.

If Kitty Russell and her accomplices weren’t captured and brought back to face Mathison’s wrath, Payne feared for his very life.

“I’ll get you anything you want,” he said, nervously licking his lips. “Just please find that woman and bring her back here. You know what could happen if you don’t.”

Jarvis didn’t reply. He knew what would happen, and he didn’t like that prospect at all. He had seen first hand what could happen when someone displeased Bob Mathison.

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Part 15

“Matt!” Kitty yelled, reaching for him. But she wasn’t as strong, nor as quick, as he had been, and she missed his arm by inches as he began to tumble down the side.

As he roughly descended the slope, Matt tried to catch himself. But he couldn’t find purchase in the soft, loosely rocked soil. Flipping backwards, Matt saw a small bush sticking out of the side of the hill just below him. Reaching out his hand he tried for it as he hurtled down.

Doc and Sam stood helplessly for a moment as they watched Matt fall, but moved quickly when they saw that Kitty was about to try and go over after him. Almost springing to her side, Sam grabbed her arm before she could any closer to the rim.

“Kitty, you can’t help him any.” Doc told her as he moved up to the other side of her. 

“He’s right Miss Kitty.” Sam said sadly, avoiding the view over the edge, afraid of what he would see.

From the moment Matt began to fall and Kitty yelled, Festus had dropped the reins to Ruth and started over after him. “Hang on Matthew,” he yelled. Looking down he saw that Matt had caught hold of a small bush, protruding out from the side of the slope and was holding on for dear life.

Sam noticed what Festus was doing and quickly made his way over to Ruth. Grabbing the line that Festus had thrown across his saddle horn, Sam quickly tied it around Ruth’s neck then threw the other end down the slope. “Grab the rope, Festus.” He yelled.

Festus, who had began his own perilous slide, reached out and snagged the line, just in time to keep himself from careening into Matt, who was below him. “Matthew, you alright?” Festus asked, as he swung helplessly. 

Matt held onto the bush for dear life, fighting to get a toe hold in the side of the hill, before the roots of the shallowly planted shrub pulled free, sending him down once again, towards the dangerous ground below. “I am for a few minutes.” Matt answered. “But I hope that ropes long enough to reach me, cause I don’t think this bush is going to hold out much longer.”

Sam, at the top, was holding onto Ruth for dear life, trying desperately to keep him from moving and risking either of the two men below him.

Kitty was clutching Doc’s arm as he was hers, for both comfort and safety. “Matt, hang on.” Kitty called. “Oh God, please Matt.”  
Doc was calling on God as well, with all the fervent belief he had in the man above.

Matt finally found purchase for his feet and just as the roots of the bush pulled free he managed to grab a hold of a small rock outcropping beside him.

Festus had succeeded in stopping the hazardous swinging of the rope, and began inching his way down towards Matt. In what seemed like hours, but was in actuality only a couple of minutes, Festus reached him. “Take my arm, Matthew.” He said, stretching out his hand to his friend. Matt started to reach out to him when he looked slightly to his right and saw a better way. 

“Festus, I see a little ledge here, just to my right. If I can reach it, it looks like there’s a small path from there leading down to the bottom.”

“Matthew, don’t ya take no chances now, ya here.” Festus called to him, unable to do much more but hang on to the life saving rope in his sweating palms.

“I won’t,” Matt called, as he carefully began to inch his way over towards the small the ledge to the side of him. 

At the top just to Matt’s left, Kitty stood with her heart in her throat, praying with everything in her, that Matt would make it, and trying hard to control the scream that was building up in her, at seeing the danger that he was in.

Doc kept a hold of her arm, constantly reassuring her that Matt would make it, even though he wasn’t so sure of that himself.  
Sam fought his own battle with fear as he held on tightly to Ruth, the only thing keeping Festus from making a forceful contact with the sharp rocks below.

Despite the late fall evening’s chilly air, Matt was sweating when he finally reached the ledge, and for the first time, had both feet planted firmly on something beside loose soil. “Festus,” he called “have Sam haul you back up. I’ve reached the ledge, and I’m pretty sure I can make down to the bottom safely from here.”

“You sure?” Festus wasn’t about to climb back up until he was positive Matt was out of danger.

“I’m sure.” Matt confirmed. 

Festus hazarded a glance down below him, and seeing that Matt truly was safe called up to Sam. “Sam, take ol’ Ruth forward. Haul me up out of here.”

Sam nodded, not trusting his voice and began to tug at Ruth’s reins, pulling him forward and Festus upward.

Matt looked up at Kitty and gave her a comforting smile. “I’ll see you at the bottom” he called, with more cheer than he currently felt. He knew he still had a ways to go before he was truly safe.

Agonizing slowly, Matt worked his way off the ledge and down the small path he had spotted towards the bottom as Festus was hauled ever upward till he reached the path above him and was finally standing next to Sam. “Thank ya, Sam.” Festus told him. His words were simple, but Sam heard the emotion behind them.

Sam nodded. “Come on,” he said to Festus as well as Kitty and Doc. “Lets see if we can meet up with the Marshal down below. 

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Part 16

Jarvis, and the guards he enlisted from the prison, rode out in the late afternoon, knowing they were at least a day behind the escapees, but also knowing it made no difference. 

Jarvis had decided he would give the search his best, but if they failed to find them, he would be leaving Mathison County and the whole of Missouri, permanently. He knew how Bob Mathison dealt with failure from his subordinates, and he wasn’t going to face that if he could get out of it.

Despite Payne’s words to the contrary, they had picked up the tracks fairly easily and were able to follow them for some time before it got too dark to see. Jarvis pulled up and motioned to the men with him to do the same. “We ain’t gonna get any further.” He told them. “Too dark. Best we make camp here; start out fresh in the morning.”

Tiredly, the men agreed and dismounted. After camp was set up and a rough meal was consumed, Jarvis walked away from the camp seeking some time to think.

He knew this part of the country. He also knew it wouldn’t be long before they would be begin to run out of tracks, as the ground began to turn rocky and signs of his quarry’s passing would be hard to find.

Al Jarvis was not a man that dealt well with disappointment or failure. Generally he either bullied to get his way, or cheated. But neither of those tactics would work in finding the escapees.

Though tracking fugitives was not new to him, and he had been luckier than most bounty hunters he had known, he had a feeling about this. 

A bad feeling. 

Running his hand through his greasy black hair, he almost shuddered. He suspected a lot would be riding on his success at finding these particular runaways.

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Though Matt was a closer to the bottom than his friends, his progress downward was considerably slower. Not wanting a repeat of his earlier rapid descent, he took his time and cautiously inched his way down the slight path, that he doubted even a mountain goat would try.

His companions, with Festus once again in the lead, were quickly making their way along and finding the going easier the further down they went. 

Festus had called down to Matt a couple of times, but Matt couldn’t hear him so didn’t reply. That worried the hill man, until casting a quick glance over the side, he made note that Matt was fine and still moving slowly towards the ground below.

Four very worried people finally made it to the floor of the valley and looked up to see Matt just a few feet above them steadily coming down. “Be careful, Matt.” Kitty anxiously called up to him.

“Don’t worry,” he called back. “I’m almost there.” 

‘Famous last words’, he thought as he took a step down on what looked like solid rock, only to have it crumble under his feet.

Sliding once again, Matt took another somersault downward. Though the ground below was a lot closer and his descent not nearly as fast, he still managed to land with a resounding thump at Kitty’s feet.

“Matt,” she screamed and scrambled to his side, pulling the rocks away that had fallen on him.

Matt lay very still for a moment then slowly moved to gain his feet. “I’m okay, Kitty.” He tried to comfort her, but in truth his neck hurt like fury where a rock had fallen down and hit him.

Doc appeared at his side. Noticing the scrapes on the right side of his neck as well as the swelling and large bruise that was beginning to form, he grabbed him by the arm. “Matt, I want you to lay back down here for a minute, while I check you out.”

“Aw, I’m alright Doc,” Matt tried to shrug it off, but Doc knew better. 

“Do what I said, Mr. Marshal.” Doc ordered, in a tone that brooked no argument. 

“Please, Matt,” Kitty begged. “Let Doc check you out, huh?”

Seeing the fear in her eyes for him, Matt sighed, and lowered himself somewhat gratefully back to the ground, unwilling to acknowledge the pain he felt. 

Gently as he could, Doc examined Matt’s neck and head not liking what he saw. “Squeeze my hands, Matt.” He said, taking Matt by both hands.

Matt complied but Doc and Matt both noticed the weakness in his grip on his right side. “Matt, I don’t like the look of that bruise and swelling on your neck.” Doc said, refusing to look at Kitty. He knew she would be terrified if he told her what he suspected. “I want you to lie there perfectly still, and I’m gonna see what I can do about stabilizing your head and neck.”

“What do you mean ‘stabilize’?” Kitty asked fretfully. “What’s wrong with him?”

Doc continued to avoid her gaze as he finished examining Matt. “I don’t know that anything’s wrong with him, just yet, Kitty.” He finally answered. “But I’m not taking any chances. Now I need some cloth and maybe a flat piece of wood or something.”

Sam and Festus exchanged worried glances as they started to look around for something that would meet Doc’s needs. Kitty reached for the hem of her prison dress, and started tearing apart her petticoat for the clothe Doc required. 

Much to Matt’s chagrin, in no time Doc had a fashioned a sort of neck brace for him and was refusing to allow him to move. “No sir”, Doc declared emphatically. “I don’t want you moving one inch. I don’t know what kind of damage may have been done and I’m not taking any chances.”

Festus stood to the side, looking uneasily back towards the way they had come. “Doc, I know’d ya don’t want Matthew hurt no more’n he already is but we cain’t stay here. Them fellers from that prison’s liable to be breathin’ down our necks for too long, lessin we find ourselves a hidey hole.”

Doc finally looked over at Kitty and noted the panicked look, as this new thought entered her consciousness. “How far did you say your cousin was from here?” Doc asked.

“Fiddle, he ain’t no more’n a mile.” Festus answered.

Doc scratched his head under his hat, and stood in thought for a while as he studied the terrain around them. Finally coming to a decision he patted Kitty comfortingly on the arm. “Sam, Festus, do you two think you could fashion some kind of stretcher or travois?”

Both men nodded as they began to look around for the makings of one.

“Good,” Doc said, “let’s see if we can get him to cousin Eustice, without any additional damage.”

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Part 17

Jarvis stood looking down at the now dead campfire, he was sure had belonged to the fugitives. It was the first sign they had found, other than the ever more elusive tracks, which indicated the direction the escapees had taken. 

Though by no means an expert, Jarvis was a good enough tracker to figure that he was only trailing 4 horses, not the dozen reported by Payne. And though he had no way of knowing for certain until he caught them, he suspected there were 4 men in addition to the woman as one set of tracks was deeper than the others.

But that still didn’t get him to the fugitives, and he desperately needed to catch them. He knew what waited him if he didn’t.  
“You figure we’re any closer to them?” Hobson, the bane of Jarvis’ existence, walked up beside him.

“Why? You figure you could do something about if we were?” Jarvis snapped at him. Hobson had done nothing but complain from the moment they had started out on this quest, and Jarvis was about fed up.

Hobson took a step back, not liking the anger in Jarvis’ tone. “I was just wonderin’ was all.”

Jarvis glared at him for a second but let his retort die. He had people to find. “Let’s go,” he called to the others. “We got a lot of ground to make up.”

Mounting up, the frustrated Sherriff and his prison guard posse rode once again following their prey. 

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The going had been incredibly slow, but Doc refused to let them move quickly for fear of doing more damage to Matt’s neck and spine. He knew the risks of paralysis were all too real, but he kept that little bit of information to himself as he saw Kitty’s fearful look, while she gently caressed Matt’s face.

Festus and Sam managed to make a travois with some stout branches and Matt’s bedroll blanket. Once they had attached it to the back of Matt’s horse, they carefully picked him up and placed him on the litter. Doc then supervised them in tying him on tightly and securely, making sure his head, neck and chest couldn’t move.

Matt felt like a pig trussed up to sell at market. He hated being constricted like this, but he understood Doc’s reasoning and he sure didn’t like the thought of the alternative. Looking into Kitty’s troubled blue eyes he tried to calm her. “I’m alright, Kitty.” He soothed. “You know how Doc goes overboard sometimes.”

Doc heard his remark but pretended not too. Kitty had enough worry on her mind, without anything else to agonize over.

Although Matt remained stoic, Doc could see him grimace in pain at every bump, and was glad when they finally reached the tiny cabin nestled deep in the woods at the base of what, to a Kansas man, looked like a mountain.

“This your cousin’s place?” Doc asked, when Festus pulled them to a stop.

“Yeah, but it’s bess we don’t go no closer till we get an actul in vite. Cousin Eustice is kinda funny that way.”

Festus had no sooner spoken than a rifle shot was heard and the small party of runaways ducked. 

“Eustice?” Festus called. “That you?”

“Who wants ta know?” A gruff voice with a distinct nasal twang questioned.

“Yeah, that’s a Haggen.” Doc snickered.

Festus cut his eyes at him before answering. “It’s me Eustice, Cousin Festus.”

A door of the small abode cracked open slightly and a rifle barrel appeared in the resultant gap. “Festus?” the man question. “Festus Haggen?”

“That’s what I said,” Festus called back. “I got me some friends with me and we need hep.”

A ragged head of gray hair replaced the rifle barrel in the doorway and a tall, barrel chested man walked out sporting overalls, whiskers and a gap toothed grin. “Festus, if you ain’t a sight fer sore eyeballs.” He enthused. “Ya’ll come on in.”

Exchanging amused glances, the weary party crossed the overgrown patch of weeds masquerading as a lawn, to the shanty in the side of the hill.

As they approached, Eustice caught sight of Matt on the stretcher and a look of concern creased his brow. “That feller hurt bad?” He asked when they reached the door. 

“No.” Doc answered. “He’s hurt, but not bad, and I’m going to make sure he doesn’t get that way.”

Eustice stared at the suited, short man in front of him then turned curious eyes to Festus. “Who’s he?”

Festus looked around his friends then back to Eustice. “Cousin, it’s gonna take a heap of tellin’.” 

Eustice nodded as he stepped away from the door. “Well, then you bess bring em’ in and git to tellin’ it.”

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Part 18

Several hours, a jug of “Good” corn liquor and a bowl of possum stew later, and Festus had filled his cousin in on why he and the others were there. Long after the men had left to tend to their horses; Eustice sat, still marveling at what he had been told.

“Ya mean ya was jailed fer a thief?” Eustice asked, unable to believe anything of the sort about the beautiful woman seated across from him.

“Yes but it’s worse than that,” she answered ruefully “according to the state of Missouri; I’m a fugitive from justice. A criminal.” Kitty expected Eustice to shrink back from taking a risk to protect a felon, but she was surprised. He seemed to relish the idea.

“Well, I ain’t go no care for what the state of Missoura thinks bout’ nothin’,” he declared. “Round here we don’t cotton to no law, no how. Least ways that kinda law. And I shore don’t cotton to Bob Mathison. He hanged a nephew of mine, bout five years back. Cleve weren’t guilty of nothin’ but bad luck to be in that there town a his, but Mathison hung him anyways.”

Kitty looked over at him. “I’m sorry, Mr. Haggen.” She said sincerely. “I didn’t know. Festus never mentioned it.”

“Festus weren’t around when it happened.” He sighed. “He’d done gone to that big city of your’n. Sides him and Cleve weren’t special close no how.”

Eustice looked over at Kitty and saw a mixture of emotions cross her face. Sympathy, sadness, but mostly fear. “Don’t you fret bout nothin’, little lady,” he assured her, “ain’t nothin’ gonna happen to ya whilst ya here if’n I got anythin’ to say bout it.”

Kitty smiled in gratitude, but her smile faltered when she glanced across the room where Matt lay asleep on Eustice’s cot. She couldn’t help but feel guilty at his being hurt. 

Despite his and Doc’s reassurances that he would be fine, she worried that he wouldn’t. Fear, that Matt might never walk again, gripped her heart and made it difficult for her to breathe.

She kept thinking that if he hadn’t come for her, if she hadn’t wired him, he would be home safe in Dodge, instead of strapped to a cot in the middle of nowhere.

Eustice noticed the direction of her gaze, reached over and patted her hand. “Ya man’s gonna be alright, little girl.” He told her. “That ol’ sawbones ya got with ya seems ta know his bizness.”

Kitty looked back at Matt. “I know Doc’s good, Mr. Haggen….” 

“Names Eustice” he interrupted her. “Way I figger it, if’n Festus brung ya’ll here then he thinks yer awful special, like family. And if’n he does, than that makes ya my family too.”

Kitty’s smile returned as she rose from the table and kissed him on the cheek. “I think you’re pretty special yourself.” She told him.  
Eustice blushed and got up from the table. “Well, we’s gonna hafta to figger out where evrabody’s gonna sleep. You and ya man’ll stay here a course.”

Kitty shook her head, a small blush of her own creeping up her neck. “No, Mr…I mean, Eustice. This is your house. Besides, Matt and I aren’t…. I mean we’re not….” She didn’t know how to describe the relationship she had with Matt. They weren’t married and yet…

Eustice patted her on the hand again. “You ain’t got to explain nothin’.” He told her. “It’s plain ta see how it is twixt you two, whether ya got a paper ta back it up or not. Now I ain’t gonna hear no more about it. You two will stay here. I’ll farm the fellers out to family here abouts, and me and Festus’ll sleep in the barn.”

“You mean there’s more of your family around here?” Kitty asked, somewhat startled.

Eustice nodded. “Yep. We’s got family clean thru these here hills. I reckon that’s why Festus thought to bring ya here. It’ll be awful hard for anybody to get to ya, whilst yer with us.”

Kitty quickly wiped a tear away and walked over to check on Matt. She was touched, by not only Eustice’s generosity, but his sincerity as well. He had the same innate goodness as Festus, and she felt safe here with them.

“I don’t know how to thank you, Eustice. This means a lot to me, to us.”

“You ain’t got to thank me fer nothin’.” He said. “Like I said, I figger you to be family now. And we Haggens take care a our own. Jes like you prolly take care a that man a your’n and he takes care of you.”

Kitty nodded thoughtfully, as she sat down on a small stool by the cot, brushing an errant curl from Matt’s forehead. “He always does that.” She said quietly.

Eustice heard that remark and smiled. “I’m gonna go see if’n those boys need some hep. I’ll also see about getting’ ya different duds, sides them rags the prison done give ya.” He said. “I’ll be back directly.”

Kitty nodded and watched him as he walked out.

“You’re wrong.” 

Kitty turned back to see Matt staring at her, a look of remorse on his poor scratched face. “What?”

“You’re wrong.” He restated, emphatically. “I don’t always take care of you. But as soon as I can get out of this bed, I promise you I will change that.”

“What are you talking about?” she asked incredulously. “Matt, you came after me with nothing more than a feeling to go on. You placed your job and your life on the line to get me out of prison. How much more could you do to take care of me?”

“I could’ve gone to St. Louis with you.” He answered, his tone serious. “I could’ve for once put you first. But I didn’t, and look what happened. Kitty, you’re in danger because I failed you. I’m still failing you. My right arm’s so weak I can’t even hold your hand, much less grip a gun.”

“You don’t need to grip a gun, Matt.” She pointed out. “At least not for a while. And Doc said as soon as the swelling went down in your neck, you’d be fine.”

“Yeah, but what if someone finds us before that happens?” he was insistent. “Kitty, right now I’m more nuisance than anything else.”  
“Oh, Matt…..” Kitty began, but she was interrupted as the others came in.

“Well, we’s got it all settled.” Eustice declared. “Cousin Sam here’ll bunk in with Cousin Tilly. And Cousin Doc’ll bunk in with Cousin Doy.”

Kitty arched a delicate eyebrow in amusement. “Cousin Sam and Cousin Doc?” she worked hard not to giggle, when she saw the stormy expression on Doc’s puckered face at his new moniker.

“Like I done tole ya,” Esutice explained. “If’n yer family to Festus, yer family to the rest a us.”

Kitty looked over at Matt and saw the same amusement on his face, and they both laughed, further irritating the exasperated physician.   
“Just what I need,” Doc grumped. “A Haggen for a relative.”  
MKDFSMKDFSMKDFSMKDFSMKDFS  
Part 19  
Matt lay rigidly on the cot in Eustice’s cabin, unable to do more than listen, as Kitty moved about the room making dinner and softly humming a tune, same tune she had sang once in the Long Branch, years before. “How come you don’t sing more often, Kitty?”

Kitty glanced over at him, raising a brow with a self-conscious grin. “Me?” she asked in all seriousness. “The idea there is to get them ‘IN’ to the Long Branch, not run them out.”

Matt would’ve shaken his head at her self deprecation, but he couldn’t move his head, shoulders or his upper body at all. Doc still had him encased in a contrivance consisting of boards, short tree limbs and cloth.

He sighed, “Kitty, you’re not a bad a singer. You just don’t do it very often. If you practiced, I bet you could pack that place every night.”

Kitty walked over to the cot and bent down to brush a kiss across his lips. “I thank you for the compliment, but you and I both know better than that. Besides I’m doing just fine without subjecting my customers, or myself, to MY singing.”

She placed another kiss on his wanting lips, before rising and going back over to the stove, out of his line of sight. She didn’t want him to see the pain she felt at knowing that she might never see the Long Branch, or Dodge ever again.

Though Matt had offered plenty of assurances that it would all work out, she had serious doubts. While she was innocent, she had no proof of it, and as she was now an escapee, she looked even guiltier.

Matt had seen the look in her eyes, before she turned away. Intuitively, he knew what she was thinking.

“Kitty, I’ve told you before. It’s going to work out. I don’t know how, but it will. Now Eustice, and just about every other relative Festus has in these parts, have been going all over the route we took and making sure there are no tracks to lead anyone here. Festus told me they’ve even laid down false tracks leading west. We’re as safe as we can be.”

“Sure,” she answered halfheartedly.

Matt sighed. “Kitty, come here for a minute, will you?”

Kitty placed the pan of cornbread; she had just pulled from the oven, down on the stove top and walked back over to the cot. “You need something?” she asked.

With more effort then he wanted to admit to, Matt reached for her hand and held it as tightly as he could. “Honey, I know you’re worried and I know how things look to you right now, but with God as my witness, I promise you, we will figure this out.” 

Kitty saw his love for her reflected in his endearing gaze and she knew he would do everything in his power to make his statement come true. She just wished she had as much faith in his statement as she did in him. “I know, Matt.” She said softly as she went back to her cooking.

Matt said no more. Until Doc gave him leave to move about and took this ‘thing’ off of his neck he couldn’t do much at all for her. But he vowed that when he was free to do so, he would do everything in his power to protect and reassure her.

MKDFSMKDFSMKDFS

“That sure was a larruping meal, Ma’am” Eustice declared as he and Festus finally pushed their plates away. “It’s been a while since I et anythin’ that good. I’ve been cookin’ fer myself so long I fergot how good a woman’s cookin’ could be.”

“How long has your wife been gone, Eustice?” Kitty asked, assuming that would be the ‘woman’ he was talking about.

“Ten year,” he answered, thinking Festus must’ve told her. “She were a pretty little thing, all fresh and light, like a new spring flower. Fever took her.”

Kitty saw a fleeting look of grief cross his face, and her heart went out to him. “I’m sorry to hear about that, Eustice. You must have loved her a great deal.”

Eustice nodded. “Yes’m, I sure did.” He answered softly before shaking his head and getting up from his chair. 

“You want we should hep ya with these here dishes, do ya Miss Kitty?” Festus asked, following Eustice up.

“Oh no, Festus.” Kitty objected. “I can take care of this. You two go on and relax.”

“Ya shore?” he asked hopefully. 

Kitty nodded. “I’m positive, you go on.”

Festus nodded, and grabbed his hat as he and Eustice made a hasty retreat before she could change her mind. Kitty shook her head with a laugh.

“I think they just got a reprieve, Kitty.” Matt said from his cot. 

“Hey, Cowboy,” Kitty said as she walked over to him. “I thought you were asleep. You hungry?”

“Nope,” Matt answered. “Just wishing I could do more than lay here.”

Kitty sat down beside him and took his hand. “And just what would you do, if you could?”

Matt pulled her hand back to his lips. “I’d kiss more than your hand for one thing.”

Kitty bent over him and captured his lips for a brief but intense moment of passion. “You mean like that?” she arched a brow, and run a hand through his hair. “Or like this?” she lightly she ran her hand down his chest and moved over a little closer to him. “Or maybe this?” her hand went just a little lower.

‘Yeah, just like that.” Matt answered, getting awfully uncomfortable in certain areas of his body. “But I guess that’s out of the question.” He looked hopefully at her for a moment.

Kitty grinned, “Yes it is. You know what Doc said. Besides you couldn’t….” she trailed off when she looked down and saw the effect she had on him. “Well, maybe part of you could.” She said amused and pleased at the results. “But Doc would have my head.”

“Doc doesn’t have to know everything.” Matt countered. “Besides you started this.”

“Yes, I did and I’m sorry. But it won’t be forever. Besides as much as I love you, that poultice that Doc and Eustice put on your neck is not necessarily conducive to… well… not to that.”

Matt sighed and looked at her longingly. “I hate being hurt.” He moaned. 

“I know you do,” Kitty said then looked down at his waist line again and laughed. “But let’s be thankful that not all of you is hurt.”

Matt groaned and closed his eyes trying to think of anything but what he was thinking. Desperately he forced his thoughts away from the beautiful and enticing woman beside him, and thought of the men who he was sure was in pursuit of her. 

The gambit worked too well. Soon all thoughts of a pleasant evening with Kitty turned to dark visions of what could happen if Mathison’s men found them, before he was able to defend her.

MKDFSMKDFSMKDFSMKDFSMKDFS

Part 20

(Two weeks later)

“That’s fine, Matt.” Doc exclaimed, as he carefully examined Matt’s neck. “The swellings gone down, and that bruise is fading nicely. Here take my hands and squeeze them.”

Obligingly, Matt took the old physicians hands in his own and squeezed, gratified to see the small wince on Adams’ face. 

“Well, you definitely have your grip back.” Doc said rubbing his now aching joints. “How’s the numbness and tingling?”

“Gone,” Matt responded. “Matter of fact the only pain in the neck I’ve had in the last few days is you. When you gonna let me out of that contraption of yours? It’s been over two weeks now.” 

“Yes, I know how long it’s been, and I know your just champing at the bit to get out of here. But I don’t think you know how serious this could’ve been. You could’ve been paralyzed.”

Matt’s irritated expression softened. “I do too know that, Doc.” He said almost softly. “Why do you think I’ve not been fighting you too much on all this? I couldn’t take a chance on that, for Kitty’s sake.”

Doc nodded, rubbed his mustache and turned away. “Well, I’m glad you were willing to listen to me, for Kitty if not for yourself. You know it’s not too often you do that.”

“Yeah, I know that too.” Matt answered, regret coloring his voice, before looking up hopefully. “So, can I get rid of that thing?”  
Doc nodded again. “Yes, but don’t you go taking any of those crazy chances you’re so fond of.”

Matt grinned, “Me?”

Doc shook his head, scrubbed his mustache and turned around, just as Kitty came in carrying a basket and a frown at seeing Matt without the improvised brace on his neck. 

“Matt,” she quickly set the basket down and rushed to his side. “Should you be up like this?” She turned back to Doc. “He okay without that thing on his neck?”

“He’s alright Kitty,” Doc answered. “I’ll keep an eye on him, but I’m pretty sure there was no debilitating damage done.”  
Kitty uttered a sigh of relief, as Matt wrapped an arm around her and pulled her close. “This means you don’t have to sleep across the room anymore.” He whispered softly.

But not so softly that Doc didn’t hear him. Turning startled eyes upon the couple, his brows knit together furiously. “Now wait a minute.” He objected. “I didn’t say anything like that. Now you two….” His protests petered out when he saw the mischievous grins on both their faces. Disgustedly, he turned and walked out of the cabin slamming the door behind him. 

Matt and Kitty could contain their laughter no longer as Matt pulled her into an embrace and kissed her deeply. “I’ve been wanting to do that for a while.”

“Not as much as I’ve wanted you to.” She replied, pulling back from him. “But are you sure you’re alright? I know Doc was awful worried.”

“Yeah I’m fine.” He looked over at the basket she had brought in. “What’s all that? Eustice give you more clothes?”  
Kitty shook her head. “No, Tilley’s wife. And they’re not for me, they’re for you. Shirleen doesn’t like your shirt. She thinks you’d look better in blue. I do too, for that matter.”

Matt searched his memory for Shirleen. The day before there was a steady stream of Haggens to the house. Matt never figured out where they'd come from or if they'd been invited. There had been so many of Festus’ relatives coming in and out he had trouble keeping track of them. “Was she the tall one with blond hair and a missing tooth?”

Kitty giggled. “No, that was Texie. Shirleen is a little shorter than me, with brown hair and a birth mark on her neck. You remember, she kept commenting about your…uh…attributes.” She raised her brows. “Kept comparing you to Tilley in size.”

Matt’s face reddened as the memory came back to him of the woman bending over him while he lay on the cot unable to defend himself. If Kitty hadn’t of been there, he wasn’t sure what she would’ve done. “Oh yeah,” he muttered.

Kitty’s giggle turned into a full blown laugh before she saw the expression on his face. “Oh Matt, I’m sorry. I know things haven’t been too comfortable for you.”

Matt pulled her closer. “The only thing that was uncomfortable was sleeping alone with you just across the room.”

Kitty looked up in his loving blue eyes. “Well Cowboy,” she smiled intimately. “Maybe tonight I can do something about that.”  
MKDFSMKDFSMKDFS  
Later that day while, Kitty, Texie and Shirleen made supper, Matt and Eustice met up with Sam and Doc and Festus as well as a few other Haggen men, to go hunting. 

Or at least they called it hunting. It was actually too late in the day to go deer or squirrel hunting and too early for much else, but the men felt the need to get away from their women. 

At least most of the men did. Matt would’ve just as soon stayed at the cabin with Kitty and sent Texie and Shrileen with the men. But once away from the confines of the small little building, he had to admit he enjoyed being outdoors again.

“How’s it feel to be shuck a that rig Doc put on ya, Matthew?” Festus asked.

“Well I’ll tell you, Festus, it feels pretty good.”

“Well you want to continue to feel good,” Doc spoke up, “you’d better be careful. Just cause you scraped by this time, doesn’t mean you will next time.”

Matt smiled at Doc but didn’t reply. It was an old game he and the doctor played. Doc constantly warning him to be careful and Matt ignoring him for the most part. But Doc knew Matt wasn’t reckless, and any chances he took were necessary ones. It didn’t help him not to worry though.

“My Shirleen seems to think kinda highly of your woman, Cousin Matt.” Tilley changed the subject. “Says she’s right smart.”  
Matt turned his attention to Tilley. Though almost as tall as Matt, he was quite a bit thinner, with sparse brown hair and the prerequisite Haggen whiskers. When he spoke, his low voice spoke of years of moonshine and tobacco.

“She is at that, Tilley” he acknowledged proudly. “One of the smartest women I’ve ever known.”

“One of the prettiest too.” Doy chimed in. “Don’t get me wrong; my Texie is looksome alright, but your’n is something we ain’t seen in these hills fer a spell.”

Dillon smiled at the lanky blond, headed young man as Kitty’s image came before him. Normally not given to effusive praise of Kitty’s attributes in front of others, he couldn’t hide the expression of pride and love that crossed his face at the mention of her.

“Well, I think you fellers are just as right as rain about that.” Eustice agreed. “But you bess not be sayin such in front of yer own women.”

“Well, I ain’t got no woman” Vernell stated. “So I ain’t got no fear of sayin’ how purty she is.”

Matt looked over at Vernell, saying nothing, knowing he had no competition from the balding, pudgy little man with the high voice. He knew where Kitty’s heart was. He just hoped he could keep it, and her, safe.

MKDFSMKDFSMKDFS

Jarvis, sat by a large tree looking down at the little shanty backed up against the hill. He hadn’t seen anyone in the last hour, but she was there. He knew it. It had taken a long time and a lot of work to find this place, and these people, but finally he had found them. 

“You sure, they’re down there?” Hobson spoke up beside him, looking down at the small building below. “I mean, we’ve followed many a track and every one of them has led us to a dead-end. This could be another one.”

Jarvis glared at the bumbling fool beside him. He did not like Hobson, but he had to admit, he had stuck with him loyally for the last couple of weeks. He had almost had to force the other men at gunpoint to stay.

“They’re down there, alright.” He said. “I don’t why they decided to light here instead continue to run, but they did and we’re gonna get them.”

Hobson nodded. “You got a plan?”

Jarvis studied the shack for a moment longer before looking over at Jarvis. “Yeah, I believe I do. Gather the other men.”  
TBC


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kitty and her Dodge men have found sanctuary with Festus Haggen's relatives. But how long can that last?

The Fugitives 21 thru Conclusion

The Fugitives 21

I don’t own these characters; I just like to spend time with them. No other profit to be had.

Author’s note: Mathison County in MO is completely fictional, therefore anything that occurs and the terrain it occurs in, is purely imaginary. 

I must also give high praise and thanks to LadyBrit for her advice on all things medical.

MKDFSMKDFSMKDFSMKDFSMKDFS

Kitty woke early with a large arm wrapped securely around her middle and warm breath at her neck. Though last nights gentle loving was nothing compared to other times they had spent together, it had felt good to once again be with the man she loved. 

Slowly, so as not to wake him, Kitty pulled herself from his embrace and trudged out back to the privy. Upon coming back in, she found Matt not only awake, but up and just about dressed. “Morning” he greeted her warmly.

“Well, good morning,” she returned. “I didn’t mean to wake you.”

“You didn’t, I’ve been awake for some time. It felt so good to have you lying beside me again; I didn’t want to let you go.”

Kitty moved into his outstretched arms and rose up on tip toes. “That deserves a kiss.” 

But just as their lips met, a shout was heard from outside. “Hello, the house.”

Automatically, Matt pushed Kitty behind him, as he reached for his gunbelt. “Stay back” he ordered.

Cautiously he went to the window and looked out. Al Jarvis was standing in the yard, holding Doc in front of him, with a gun to his head. “You all had better come out of there.” He warned. “That is if you want this old man to live.”

Doc tried jerking away but Jarvis had too tight a hold of him. “Let me go.” Doc demanded.

Hearing Doc’s voice, Kitty automatically moved towards the door but Matt grabbed for her. “Kitty, you can’t go out there.”

“He’s got Doc,” she hissed. “I can’t sit in here and let Jarvis hurt him. Doc wouldn’t be here at all if it wasn’t for me.”

“Kitty,” Matt tried, but she had already pulled away from his grasp and was out the door. “Let Doc go.” She said when she stepped out. “It’s me you want, not him.”

Jarvis grinned. “Un huh. He helped you break out of prison. He’s going back with you, along with the other men that helped you.”  
“There were no other men,” Doc spoke up. “I did it by myself.”

Jarvis shook his head. “I read tracks too well for that, old man. There were at least three men that helped her break out. I want them all.”

Inside the shanty, Matt moved away from the window and towards the side. Looking out from that window, he could see several men had surrounded the place. 

He didn’t know where Festus and Eustice were, and he couldn’t take a chance on them being able to do anything. He knew the only choice he had now was to go out there, and try to keep Doc and Kitty from being hurt.

Swiftly, he pulled his shirt tails out of his pants, placed his gun in his waist band and covered it with his shirt.

“There are only two of us left,” Matt called as he walked out the door behind Kitty. “The other one got shot when we broke her out.”  
Kitty whirled around to him, “Matt, no, go back.” She warned him.

Matt spared her a loving glance, before turning his attention back to Jarvis. Walking out, he made sure to keep Kitty safely behind him. “There’s no need to hurt any of us. We’ll come with you.”

An evil grin lit Jarvis’ face, as he roughly shoved Doc away from him and towards Matt. Raising his head, he started to call out to his men when a shot rang out, and Jarvis fell where he stood. Instantly other shots were heard, as the prison guards and the Haggens began to fire at one another. 

Matt whirled around and pulled his own gun, firing at the nearest guard, as he grabbed Doc by the arm, and quickly pushed him down out of the line of fire. 

Kitty instinctively headed towards safety, towards Matt, when out of the corner of her eye, she spotted Jarvis. He wasn’t dead, and he had his gun aimed at Matt. “Matt look out.” She screamed, as she ran in front of him. 

Jarvis fired twice at that moment, and his bullets found their mark in her. Matt whirled around just in time to catch Kitty in his arms as she fell, dropping his gun in the process. Weaker now, Jarvis raised his gun again, but dropped it a second later, as another shot was heard. The final shot. 

Festus stepped out into the yard, and moved over quickly to Jarvis. Kicking him over with his foot, he glared down at the menace. “He’s daid.” He declared, as he looked back to where Matt was kneeling in the yard, cradling Kitty in his arms. “Matthew?” He asked fearfully. “She ain’t……?”

Doc, who had just knelt down beside her, shook his head as he began to examine her. “Let’s get her inside.” He said, solemnly. 

Swiftly, Matt picked her up and carried her back into the cabin, as the Haggens began to come out of their hiding spots, and moved towards the downed guards, checking them over. 

“Let’s get these murderers out of here.” Eustice said to his kinfolk. As quickly as they could, the men began to pick up the dead guards and haul them away.

No one noticed the one lone man who managed to stay hidden; until he was sure the coast was clear. Rising quietly from his hiding place, he swiftly retraced his steps, and left the area as quickly and quietly as he could.

As he mounted his horse, Hobson took one more look behind him, then turned and raced away. He had to get back to tell Mathison what happened, and where Kitty Russell could be found.

MKDFSMKDFSMKDFSMKDFSMKDFS

Part 22

Swiftly Matt carried Kitty into the cabin and gently laid her on the cot, Doc right behind him. Kitty was pale, her breathing was shallow, and by the amount of blood on her dress and his shirt, Matt was amazed and grateful she was still alive. 

“Matt I need my medical bag,” Doc told him as he began to pull Kitty’s dress away to examine her wounds. He could see one on her upper left shoulder and another one on her right thigh. 

Matt didn’t seem to hear him as he stared anxiously, at first Doc, then Kitty. 

“Matt.” Doc called him again. “I need my medical bag.”

Mentally Matt gave him self a shake and turned towards the door, when it opened and Texie came in with Doc’s black medical bag. “Figgered ya might need this.” She said.

Doc nodded, never taking his attention from his patient. “I sure do.” He said. “I could use some help here too, if you don’t mind, Texie.” He spared her a grateful nod.

“You jes tell me what ya be a needin’ and I’ll do er.” Texie said, giving Matt a sympathetic look.

“I… I’ll help you Doc,” Matt spoke up.

Doc glanced up at him but shook his head. “You’d be more hindrance then help. Why don’t you just go on outside and wait?” 

Matt looked stricken, but stubbornly refused to leave. “I’ll stand over here out of the way,” he declared. “But I’m not leaving.”

Doc knew arguing would do no good. “Alright then get some water on the stove to boil, will ya? And look around and see what you can find to make bandages. I don’t have near enough in my bag.”

Matt paled at that statement, but kept his silence as he quickly stoked the fire in the stove and put a kettle on to boil. That task completed, he turned his attention to finding clothe for bandages. A spot of blue caught his attention, and he saw the shirt Kitty had been given for him as well as several others. All were clean and neatly folded.

“Kitty likes blue,” he thought as he quickly tore the shirt, and the others, to bandage size. 

Stepping over to the cot, he laid the bandages he had created, down beside Doc, and looked over at Kitty’s pale, drawn features. “She gonna be alright?” he asked, afraid of the answer he might receive. 

Doc nodded, “I think so. The shoulder wound’s not too bad. But I’m worried about this wound on her thigh. I’ve got to get this bleeding stopped before I can do anything about either one.” 

Matt was beginning to turn as pale as Kitty, as Doc grabbed one of the shirt bandages and applied it on top of the cloth he had already placed on her leg, and he watched it immediately turn the same crimson color as the one underneath it.

Doc ignored him. “Texie do me a favor, see if you can find a pan somewhere and then see if there’s any alcohol around here. I’ve got to get my instruments sterilized and I don’t have what I need in my bag.”

While Texie pulled out a pan, and went for the whiskey, Eustice thought he kept hidden; Matt went to Doc’s bag and began to pull out the instruments he knew, from personal experience, that Doc would need. He needed to do something to keep himself from going over the edge.

“This ain’t what’d ya might call sippin’ whiskey, Cousin Doc.” Texie said apologetically, as she brought the bottle over to him. “But it peers it’s all Eustice is got, least ways its better’n the sqeezin’s he usually drinks. He keeps this fer special.”

“That’s alright, Texie,” Doc answered, applying yet another cloth to Kitty’s leg. “It’s not for drinking anyway.”

Matt reached over and took the bottle from Texie’s hand and opened it. Pouring a good bit into the pan, he placed Doc’s instruments in after it.

Doc glanced up at him in thanks, but said nothing as he finally began to work to repair the damage Jarvis had inflicted on Kitty. 

Three hours later, Doc finished tying the knot on the last suture, before placing a bandage soaked in alcohol on her leg, then another dry one, and wrapped another completely around her leg to hold them in place.

Sitting back, he looked up into Matt’s worried eyes. “She’s gonna be alright, Matt.” He told him. “I don’t how, but that bullet managed to miss the major arteries in her leg and pretty much pass right on through. And the one in her shoulder wasn’t that deep. I was able to get it out without too much trouble.”

Matt took a ragged breath, and ran a hand through his hair. “She really gonna be alright?” he questioned, even though he trusted Doc completely.

“Yes, she will.” Doc answered wearily. “But don’t get me wrong. It’s going to take a while. She won’t be moving around too much for quite a spell.”

Matt took Doc’s chair, when he rose and pulled Kitty’s hand to his lips for a moment, taking comfort in the steady rise and fall of her chest. Finally releasing her hand, he stood up. “I’ll be back.” He said gruffly.

Doc heard the anger in his voice, and watched him in alarm as he stomped out of the cabin. 

“How’s the little girl?” Eustice asked when Matt appeared on the porch. 

“She’ll be alright eventually” he said tightly “no thanks to anyone here.”

Eustice saw the fury, in the rigid way he stood there and glared at the collection of people standing about. Ducking his head, he understood why. “I’m sorry, boy.” He stated sadly. “We was so sure ya was safe here, peers we let ya down. Ain’t no scuse fer it neither.”

Matt squared his shoulders and raised his head, taking a deep breath. These people had been good to them and had taken them in when they didn’t have to. He had no right to be angry at them, besides he felt he was really the guilty one.

He was angry at himself more than anyone or anything. He felt the guilt settle on his shoulders, knowing he had been the one who had failed to keep her safe.

“I’m sorry, Eustice.” He said remorsefully. “What happened wasn’t your fault. She was with me; I’m the one who didn’t protect her.”

“Aw now, Matthew” you ain’t gotta take on all the blame. It weren’t yore fault that yahoo Jarvis come in like he done. I reckon they’s blame a plenty fer all of us.”

“He’s right, Marshal” Sam said from beside Festus. “We got kinda lax around here and let our guard down. You weren’t supposed to be guarding this place, we were and we failed, not you.”

Matt looked down gratefully at his friends, knowing they would give their lives for Kitty, or for him either one, if need be. But he also knew they shouldn’t have to. 

Suddenly he knew what he had to do. It wasn’t what he wanted, and there was a chance things could backfire on him. But it was the only thing that he knew of, that was right and that would keep Kitty from getting hurt again, or maybe killed.

“Festus, Sam” he said levelly. “We need to talk”

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Part 23

While Eustice, and the rest of the Haggens, graciously agreed to wait outside, Matt and the other three Dodge men, sat inside the cabin talking, while Doc kept an eye on Kitty.

Matt had decided that the best course of action, was for him to turn himself and Kitty over to Newly’s custody, and hopefully, with Judge Brooker’s help, get Kitty’s conviction overturned and a new trial set outside of Mathison County, just like Matt had been able to do for Steven Downing. 

But he wanted to keep his three friends out of it. He knew he might face some jail time for helping Kitty escape prison. He didn’t want his friends to face the same thing.

“You all don’t understand,” Matt argued, for what seemed like the hundredth time, in the last 15 minutes. “You don’t have to go down with me. Sam, no one but that Warden and the one guard knows about you. And I’ll tell everyone the same thing I told Jarvis, that you were killed. Doc, Festus no one saw you two at all that I know of. “

“Matthew, that don’t make a lick of sense.” Festus argued. “It don’t make no never mind whether me and ol’ Doc was a seen or not, don’t ya see? We started this together, we gotta end it together.”

“He’s right Marshal,” Sam chimed in. “We are in this together, and that’s the way it should be.”

Matt shook his head in irritation. He wanted to protect his friends.

“Matt,” Doc spoke up. “You might as well give up. You turn yourself and Kitty in, and the rest of us will be going with you.”

Matt sighed. He had lost the battle. He had wanted to keep these men from whatever he was certain to face, but they weren’t going to let him, and nothing he said was going to change their minds.

A soft moan caught everyone’s attention, and Doc immediately crossed over to the cot. Taking Kitty’s wrist, he checked her pulse, listened to her heart and watched her for a moment, as did Matt, standing next to him. “Doc?”

Doc shook his head. “She’s still out Matt,” he said. “But she’s doing pretty good, considering. Her pulse and heart rate are normal and she’s not running a temperature.”

Matt looked at the relieved faces around him and realized, Kitty meant almost as much to them as she did to him.

“Matthew,” Festus spoke up. “You want I should ride to Dodge and fetch Newly, do ya?”

Matt thought about that for a moment then shook his head. “No, Festus. I’d really rather you stay here. Just because Jarvis and the men with him are dead, doesn’t mean there aren’t more out there. I’d feel better if you were here with us, helping me keep Kitty safe.”

Festus nodded. “Spose yer right on that.” Standing in thought for a moment, Festus suddenly brightened. “We’ll send Vernell then. It were his brother Cleve that Mathison hung, and he’d do jes about anything, to see to it that he don’t get his hands on you and Miss Kitty there.”

Matt graced Festus with a brief smile. “I appreciate it, Festus.” He said, looking back over at Kitty. “The only thing that’s important, in this whole mess, is seeing to it that she’s safe.”

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Slowly Kitty became aware of her surroundings as her eyelids fluttered and then opened. She was in the cabin, she knew, and turning her head slightly to the left she knew Matt was with her. Everything else seemed a painful blur.

“Matt?” she whispered.

His tired blue eyes opened and met hers as he offered a silent prayer of thanks at seeing her awake. “Kitty? How are you feeling?” he asked.

“I’ll be alright,” she answered, not certain if that was the truth or not, but deciding it would do. “What happened?” she asked. She couldn’t quite remember why she was lying there in pain with Matt’s worried form beside her.

“You don’t remember?” Matt questioned, concerned. “Jarvis found us.”

Kitty searched her memory for a moment, then the sight of Doc being held in the horrible clutches of that vile man, came flooding back to her, along with the memory of his aiming his gun at Matt.

“Jarvis shot me.” She said finally, without rancor. “I assume he’s dead if I’m not.”

Matt nodded, grateful for that fact. “Yes, Festus got him.”

“Is Doc alright? And Sam and Festus?” she wanted to make certain her family wasn’t hurt. She couldn’t bear the thought of that, after what they had already come through. 

“They’re fine honey.” He answered, basking in the wonderment of having her awake and talking. “There’s nothing for you to worry about but getting well.”

“How bad am I?” she asked. “I know my shoulder and leg hurt like fury, but was there anything else?”

Matt shook his head. “Nothing else. Your shoulder and leg were bad enough. But Doc says you’re going to be fine. You just need to take it easy and rest.”

Kitty nodded in relief until another thought came, unbidden though it was. “Matt, what about Mathison?”

“What about him?” Matt asked, not understanding the connection.

“If Jarvis found us, Matt, then Mathison can too.” Her tone was urgent and softly pleading. “Matt, you and everyone else have to get out of here? Mathison will be coming. I can’t ride but you can. Please, Matt, you all have to go.” 

Matt shook his head again and soothed her with a kiss. “Honey, calm down. Mathison won’t find us. Jarvis, and all the men he had with him, are dead. And Eustice and the others made sure no one will ever know they were here.”

Kitty studied his gaze for a moment, almost afraid to get her hopes up. “You sure?”

“Yes sweetheart.” He uttered the seldom used endearment for emphasis. “I promise. Now you just close your eyes and rest. I promise everything will be okay.”

As Kitty drifted back to sleep, Matt ran a calloused finger down her cheek, and whispered a prayer that it was true.

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Hobson was by no means a competent horseman, but somehow he had managed to stay on his horse and make a fair bit of progress on his journey back to the prison. 

He was pretty sure once he told the Warden, and by extension, Mathison that he knew where the woman and her friends were and that she had been shot, they would both be pretty happy with him. Maybe, even want to reward him in some way.

With that happy thought in his simple brain, he spurred his tired horse even harder, anxious to get back and receive what, he felt, he had coming to him.

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Part 24

I’m guessing at how long it takes to ride to Dodge from where the Haggens are. And the Haggens are somewhere south of the non-existent Mathison County.

(Two days later – Statesville Prison)

Whether by design, or sheer dumb luck, Hobson finally made it back to the prison two days later. At first glance, not much had changed in the over two weeks, since he had ridden out with Jarvis. 

But he wondered about inside. Mathison had been plenty mad about that woman being able to escape. And even though Hobson was bringing back the information of where she could be found, it was still with some trepidation that he dismounted his horse and walked in through the prison gates.

(One day after that – Dodge City)

Newly sat behind Matt’s battered desk, idly looking through old wanted posters. Though his body was in the little brick jail building in Dodge, his mind was off somewhere in Missouri, wondering about his friends. 

It had been close to three weeks and he hadn’t heard a thing from them, or of them. He had heard from Mathison however. 

The repugnant man had had the temerity to send an urgent wire, demanding that someone from the US Marshal’s office set off at once, in search of the escapees. And should he find them, turn them over to the authorities in Mathison County.

Newly had ignored that wire, as well as the one sent after it. The third such wire he received, he finally answered, telling Mathison he had no jurisdiction in Missouri, and had not seen or heard from anyone matching the description of said fugitives. He signed the wire, Matt Dillon, US Marshal, Dodge City.

He had expected Barney, the telegraph operator to make some comment, but expressionlessly, he complied and kept his mouth shut. Normally not one to keep such interesting news to himself, the balding little man kept this news, though he really couldn’t say why.

Just as Newly couldn’t say why he had chosen not to contact Hays, or the War Department, for a temporary replacement for Matt, when he had lit out for Missouri. He had meant to, he had been asked to. But he hadn’t done it. Instead he had kept the deputy’s badge and covered, saying Matt was off on Government business and he didn’t know when he’d be back. 

He gave similar excuses when asked about Doc, or Festus or Sam, and his rational for doing so was the same as Matt’s. Because he felt it was the right thing to do. 

Of course he was glad that that neither the law, nor Doc’s patients, had needed too much attention, these last three weeks, but he knew that couldn’t last and he wondered what he was going to do, when both called urgently for him at the same time.

“You be the law?” A balding, pot-bellied hill man poked his head in the door, freeing Newly from his revelry.

Newly had the feeling he knew this man, and yet he was certain he had never laid eyes on him before. “I’m the deputy here.” Newly answered. “Can I help you with something?”

The man completed his entrance, resting his rifle on the toe of his ragged boot, as he studied the young deputy for a moment. “I’m a lookin’ fer a man name Newly.” He declared. “You him, are ya?”

‘Festus’, Newly thought. ‘He reminds me of Festus.’ “My name’s Newly,” he answered out loud. “How can I help you?”

“Name’s Vernell Haggen,” the man stated. “Cousin Festus sent me fer ya. Said you was to come.”

Newly’s eye widened at the mention of Festus, “What’s wrong, is Festus alright, how about the Marshal, Miss Kitty…..?

“Now just holt on,” Vernell stopped him, a little exasperated. “I cain’t answer none of yer questions, if’n ya don’t give me no chance.”

Newly dropped his head for a moment. “I’m sorry,” he said contritely. “It’s just that it’s been three weeks now, and this is the first I’ve heard of them.”

“I know it,” Vernell intoned. “And I aim ta tell ya everthing, but ya gotta hush up a minute so’s I can.”

“At least tell me if everyone’s alright.” Newly wanted to know that more than anything.

Vernell walked over to the little table in the middle of the room, and pulled out a chair. “Mind if I sit?” he asked as he seated himself.  
“No,” Newly answered, trying not to lose his patience. 

“Good, cause I’m plum tuckered.” Vernell sighed as he sat down. “Now what was it ya asked? Oh yeah, you was wantin’ ta know how everbody was. Well, I’d say tolerable. Cousin Matt finally got outta that rig that Cousin Doc made him wear for his hurt neck, and Miss Kitty, well she were shot up purty bad, but Cousin Doc sez she’ll be alright so long as she takes it easy.”

Newly very nearly choked on the coffee he was sipping on. “Shot? Hurt Neck? Cousin…? What are you talking about?”

“Well…” Vernell started but before he could finish, he was interrupted by a cry from outside.

“Mr. Newly!!” Louie Pheeters ran in the door. “I think you’d better come over to the Long Branch.”

“What’s wrong, Louie?” Newly asked, concerned about the panicked look on the old man’s face.

“There’s a fellow over there talking about Miss Kitty.” Louie told him anxiously. “He said he hurt her?” Louie Pheeters loved Kitty Russell and he couldn’t stand the thought of her being hurt.

Newly jumped, looked over at Vernell, grabbed his hat and ran down to the Long Branch, Louie right behind.

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Despite being a whiskey drummer, for more years than he could remember, Jasper Lowther seldom imbibed alcoholic drinks. 

Personally, he wasn’t much fond of the taste, especially of the stuff that he sold. 

As a matter of fact he made it a general rule not to drink. But once he arrived in Dodge City, and saw the Long Branch and heard about the saloon’s beautiful owner, he broke his own rule.

He remembered all too well the woman he had helped Mathison set up, and the look on her face when she had been sentenced. Though she had been defiant and had stood proud despite the travesty going on around her, he had also seen a fleeting look of fear and vulnerability.

It was that look that haunted him, and that would continue to haunt him, for a long time.

That was why, when he presented himself to the barkeep at the Long Branch, and was told that the owner, one Miss Kitty Russell, was on a trip, he purchased a bottle of the saloon’s cheapest whiskey and proceeded to get as drunk as he could possible get.  
Being drunk was preferable to thinking about the wrong, the harm; he had done to a woman who had done nothing to him.

Of course drinking alone proved to be as bad as being sober alone. So when Louie Pheeters wondered in, and Jasper saw the hungry look of an alcoholic in his eyes, Jasper invited him over. To share a drink, commiserate over the unfairness of life, and listen to the story of the sad, sad fate of one Kitty Russell. 

The Kitty Russell that he felt guilty for hurting.

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Part 25

Newly stood by with a bucket of water, waiting, while Lowther emptied his stomach of all the bad whiskey he had drank. 

When Lowther finally sat back, drained, Newly picked up the bucket of water and tossed it on him. The drummer shook himself like a dog, then collapsed onto the ground in front of where Newly stood, in the alley behind the jail. 

Newly picked up another bucket of water, but Lowther held up his hand in a pleading manner. “No please,” he begged. “I’ve had enough. Please….. No more.”

Newly sat the bucket aside, then reached down and pulled the man to his feet. “Alright then talk. What did you mean about ‘hurting’ Kitty Russell?” Newly’s frustration was showing in his tone of voice.

“I didn’t mean nothing.” The drummer whined. “I was just drunk was all. I’m not used to drinking so much.”

“You meant somethin’, Mister.” Vernell spoke up beside Newly. “Now I know’d ya weren’t there when the lady was shot but……….”

“Shot?” Lowther blanched. “Oh my God, I never thought… I mean…” he realized too late what he was saying and looking into the furious face of Newly O’Brian and the menacing face of Vernell Haggen, he decided it was time he came clean about his involvement, in the framing of Kitty Russell.

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(Same day – Eustice Haggen’s Cabin)

“Now, Kitty, Doc wants you to rest. He’ll have my hide nailed to the wall, if you tear open those stitches.” Matt was doing everything he could, besides sit on her, to get Kitty to lay in bed and rest quietly.

“Oh Matt. I’m not going to tear open any stitches, but I’m tired of just laying around. It won’t hurt anything for me to just get up and…………..”

“Yes it will and you know it. By golly, Kitty, you are as stubborn as I am.” Matt was getting exasperated at her obstinate instance on getting out of bed.

“Flattery will get you no where, Mr. Dillon.” She retorted, with a mischievous twinkle in her eye.

“Yeah well, maybe not, but you’re not going anywhere either. I’m not taking any chances. I come too close to losing you, Kitty. If you had’ve of died…………..” He took a deep breath and took her hand in his. “I’m never gonna forgive myself, for not keeping you from being shot in the first place. I’m not gonna not stand by and let anything else happen to you.”

Kitty saw the soft, regretful look in his eyes, at his confession. She reached out with her right hand and grasped his arm. “Matt, you have nothing to feel guilty about. You didn’t do anything. Jarvis shot me, not you, and Jarvis is dead. Please don’t feel guilty about something you had no control over.”

Matt started to say something, when the door swung open and Doc came in, leaving it open. “Matt,” he said “Festus wanted to see you about something.”

He met Matt’s questioning gaze with an urgent stare of his own.

Matt wasn’t sure what was up, but he understood immediately that Doc didn’t think Kitty should hear it. Patting the hand he still held, he gently dropped a kiss on her lips and rose. “I’ll be back in few minutes.” He told her. “Doc, you’d better watch your patient here. She’s a wily one.”

He gave Kitty another kiss and then turned and left the shack, Kitty’s soft chuckle following him out. Festus and Sam were waiting on the porch for him, with Eustice and Doy in the yard just beyond. “What’s wrong Festus?” he asked.

“Matthew, I think they may be a problem. Cousin Tilley here has somethin’ to tell ya.”

Matt walked out into the yard with the other men behind him. When he was certain he had gotten far enough away from the shanty, he turned back to Tilley. “What is it you wanted to tell me?” he asked. 

Tilley took a sideward’s glance at the shack, then turned back to Matt. “I’ve been a keepin’ my eyeballs peeled here abouts for anythin’ what don’t belong. Cousin Festus tolt me to.”

“And?” Matt prodded.

“Well I found me some tracks, up thare. Don’t look like much, and they’s a couple of days old but they’s thare and somethin’ ain’t right about em.”

Matt looked up towards where the man was pointing, a small ridge that ran along west of the cabin. “What do you mean, they’re not right?” Matt asked, a sudden feeling of uneasiness settling in his gut.

Tilley shrugged. “Well they’s tracks fer bout eight horses leadin’ in up yonder on that thare ridge, and then they’s a track of one horse, runnin’ back the way they come. When we buried them fellers from the prison, we buried seven.”

“I got me an ideer, Matthew, that we’re a fixin' on getting’ us some more company from that thare prison.” Festus said grimly.

“Yeah I agree with you, Festus. And I have an idea it won’t be long until they ride in here.” Matt looked over at Eustice. “Eustice, I know I’ll be asking an awful lot of you, especially after all you’ve already done……………”

“Ain’t no askin’ to it, Cousin Matt.” Eustice stopped him with a wave of his hand. “I already done sent someone to call the others in. They’ll be here directly.”

Matt was relieved and grateful to hear that, but he knew they still had their work cut out for them. A bunch of men under the direction of Mathison were not going to be easy to defeat.

“Well,” he said, glancing back towards the cabin. “Let’s see if we can devise some sort of plan for when they get here.”

As the men started to walk off, Sam lagged behind for a moment and grabbed Matt by the arm. “Marshal, what ever we decide to do, I think you need to stay inside the cabin with Miss Kitty. She’s got to be protected, and you’re the best man to do that.”

Matt gave him a sad and weary smile. “I don’t know about the best, Sam. But I’m going to stay by her, no matter what. You can count on that.”

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Part 26

Matt, Sam and Festus as well as a large group of his relatives, sat inside the barn discussing Tilley’s find and trying to decide the best course of action. Matt had hoped that no one would find them until Vernell had reached Dodge, and Newly could arrange to take them safely into his custody. 

But he didn’t believe that was going to happen now. “Well, unless Vernell got way laid somewhere, he probably made to Dodge last night or today. But even riding hard, it’ll be another 3 days or so before Newly could get here. I have a feeling Mathison will be here before then.”

“Me too, Matthew.” Festus agreed. “I got me a itch on the back a my head that I don’t get unlessin’ they’s injuns or scallywags around. And they ain’t no injuns anywhere around here.”

Matt nodded. “I know what you mean Festus. That’s why we have to have a good plan for when they get here. Jarvis caught us by surprise last time, and if you all hadn’t caught on as quickly as you did, we’d all be back in Statesville or dead.”

“Well, that ain’t a gonna happen this time.” Eustice spoke up. “We got plenty of kin here and more a comin’ if need be.”

Matt was grateful for these people and he hoped he would one day be able to express that to them. “Well, let’s figure this out.” He said. “Eustice, you and your family know these hills. Tell me how we can do this.”

MKDFSMKDFSMKDFS

(Next Morning)

Mathison and twelve of his men sat around the fire with Payne and Hobson. Though both of those men had protested their inclusion in this excursion, Mathison had insisted. 

Hobson was the only one who knew where this place was and Mathison wanted to make sure that Payne was there to take custody of Kitty Russell and her rescuers. After he and his men were through with them of course. Besides to Mathison’s way of thinking, it was Payne’s fault she escaped, so Payne was going to have to help get her back.

According to the law, it should’ve been the US Marshal’s Service or some other state law enforcement agency to go after the escapees. But Mathison wasn’t about to let that happen. Though he had tried to enlist the Marshal in Dodge in finding her, he had sought no other help besides his own personal private force of men. 

To Bob Mathison this was personal. The woman had not only thwarted his plans for reprisal against Steven Downing, but had managed to escape his prison and his justice for her. In his eyes she had made him a laughing stock, and he would not take from anyone.

“You’re sure we’ll be there by this afternoon?” Payne was asking Hobson. He hated riding horseback, and his considerably proportioned backside was seriously anxious to get this mess over with, so that he could go back to his nice little office at the prison.

Hobson nodded. “Yeah, afternoon at the latest. It’s not too hard to find once you know the right path.”

“And you know the right path?” Mathison asked.

Hobson nodded again. “Yes sir. Actually it’s pretty easy to find. We just stay on this trail we’re on and when we come to a fork in the road we go straight. It doesn’t look like a path but once you go a ways down it you realize that’s exactly what it is. It’s pretty cleverly hidden but you can clearly see it once you’re on it.”

Mathison watched the smarmy braggart for a moment. “And the end of this path puts you up on a ridge above the place?”

“Yes Sir,” Hobson answered, pleased with himself for being the one who would grant Mathison the prize he so eagerly wanted.  
“How many men did you say you saw around there?” Mathison wanted to know.

“Well, I couldn’t say exactly.” Now Hobson was getting a little nervous. He had paid no attention to the number of hill people that had come out in defense of the fugitives. He had been too scared to notice. But he was smart enough not to tell that to Bob Mathison. “But I doubt there could’ve been more than 6 or 7. They wouldn’t have taken us I don’t think if Jarvis had’ve been more careful like I told him to.” He lied, knowing he had said nothing and Jarvis would never be able to refute it.

Mathison sat thoughtfully for a moment, then pulled out his gun and shot Hobson, once in the chest, no expression on his face as the man fell back dead.

Payne almost screamed at the sight, and looked at Mathison with horrified eyes. “Wh….Why?” was all he could manage to sputter.

“Because I don’t need him anymore.” Mathison glared at the Warden. “He’s told me what I need to know. Besides, he’s not the kind who can keep his mouth shut about, what might happen today. Not like you, huh Warden Payne?”

Payne licked his suddenly very dry lips and nodded. “I won’t say anything.”

Mathison nodded with a wicked light in his eyes. “That’s what I thought.” He smiled mirthlessly. “Now, let’s see if we can devise a trap that Kitty Russell and her benefactors won’t be able to get out of this time, shall we?”

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Part 27

Kitty lay restlessly on the cot and watched as Matt took a quick look out the front window of the cabin again. Though he had said nothing, and insisted that everything was fine, she knew him way too well to be fooled. Glancing over at Doc she saw the same worried expression that Matt wore.

“Okay you two,” she finally said out of exasperation. “You’re about as subtle as Festus’ spurs. What’s going on? Why do you keep looking out the window?”

Matt and Doc exchanged uneasy glances behind her, but they knew she had caught on. Very seldom, was anyone able to put anything past Kitty Russell.

Doc started to say something but Matt raised his hand. “I’ll tell her Doc.” He said resignedly. 

“Tell me what?” Kitty’s tone gave evidence of alarm, as she painfully pulled herself up a little straighter in the bed.

Matt walked over to the cot and sat down backwards on a chair beside it, resting his arms on the back and staring intently at her. “We think Mathison might be on the way here.”

Kitty struggled not to gasp and looked over at Doc seeing the confirmation in his expression. “You sure?” she finally asked, raising her eyes back to his.

Matt shook his head, glancing back towards the window yet again. “I’m not positive, no.” he said. “But Tilley found some tracks that lead away from here and they weren’t made by any one of the Haggens. I figure one of those prison guards got away and probably went back for help.”

Kitty nodded glumly and took a deep sigh. “When?” She asked.

Matt reached over and took her hand in his, cradling it, as he tried to think of someway to reassure her, he couldn’t. “I figure most likely today or tonight some time.”

Kitty searched his face for hope and found it. “You have a plan?”

Matt nodded. “Yep,” he answered. “And it’s a pretty good one I think. Eustice called in about every Haggen in these parts and has them hidden out just about everywhere. Mathison might ride in here, but he won’t ride out.”

Kitty looked down sadly. Though she had no love for Mathison, she didn’t want to see him or anyone else killed. The seven dead men lying in unmarked graves at the edge of the Haggen property were enough, the way she saw it.

Matt saw the expression on her face and knew what she was thinking, as he so often did. “Kitty, I don’t know what’s going to happen if Mathison does show up here, but I promise you I will do everything in my power to resolve this without anyone else getting hurt or killed.”

Kitty looked at him for moment with a sad smile. “I know you will, Matt.” She answered just as Festus came running in the door.  
“Matthew!” He yelled. 

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Mathison and his men, as well as Payne, rode broadly down the almost invisible path, unaware of eyes watching their progress southward. They did not know these woods, but the environs therein did. They had been following the interlopers for some time now and had already sent word of their eminent arrival.

Payne looked nervously around him as they rode. He had the strangest feeling of being watched. The woods appeared to be devoid of all life, not even a breeze was stirring. But they were there. He could feel them.

Mathison noted the look and his face and felt the same unease but he refused to allow that to stop him. Kitty Russell was long overdue, in his mind, to learn the lesson that many others already had. Never cross Bob Mathison.

They had ridden quite a ways when the path started to steadily climb. Before long they had reached the ridge that Hobson had told them about and in the clearing below, backed up against the hill, was the shanty, where their quarry rested.

Mathison held up his hand to stop, as he dismounted. His men followed his lead and gathered around him, once on the ground. 

“I have no doubt that the ones we want is down there.” Mathison quietly told his men. “But I also have no doubt that there are people around down there we can’t see. Now we can go in shooting, but more than likely they’d cut us down before we get halfway down the hill.”

Payne licked his lips anxiously. “What do you have in mind?”

Mathison looked over at him with a malevolent grin. “You are going to go in by yourself Payne. You lost the prisoner; you’re going to get her back.”

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Little Jess Haggen, though the smallest of the Haggens, was also the fastest and quietest in the woods. Standing no more than five feet tall and slight of build he was however possessed of a grace and agility which served him well in the woodland terrain he called home. 

With dark brown hair and eyes and tan skin, he blended in seamlessly with his surroundings and went unnoticed, as he carefully followed the hateful men who had come into his family’s territory. 

Quietly he moved in as close as he could and strained to hear their conversation. He only heard bits and parts of it though as the wind picked up. However he heard enough to know that t some of the men planned to ride in and demand to see Kitty while some planned on holding back in the cover of the woods.

Swiftly he turned and faded back into the woods and made his way to where Eustice waited for word.

Once Little Jess’s tale was told, Eustice patted him on the back. “You done good, Little Jess.” He told him. “Now you git on back out there and keep your eyes and ears peeled. I’m gonna let Cousin Matt know. Peers we got company comin’.

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Part 28

Riding slowly and apprehensively down the slope towards the shanty, Payne was aware that there were eyes on him and the three men that were with him. Though he had no idea just how many eyes, he was conscious of the need for caution. He made sure him, and the men with him, kept their hands in plain view and away from their rifles.

When they finally made it into the yard, they reined in and looked around them. An older man stepped out of the door, dressed in a pair of coveralls, with a shotgun pointed in Payne’s direction. “Have yer say,” the man spoke calmly, “then git.”

Payne swallowed hard and moved to dismount, the shotgun following his every movement.

“My n…name is Warden Cli..Clifford Payne.” He finally managed over the scared lump in his throat. “I’m…uh…that is my men and I… well we’re…uh… looking for a woman by the name of Kitty Russell. I w…was told she was here.”

“Ya was, was ya?” the man said with a touch of amusement in his voice. “What ya want with her?”

“She…she’s an escapee from the prison I manage. We’ve come to take her back.” 

Payne stood stiffly as Eustice stared at him, seriously hoping Bob Mathison was carrying through on his part of this plan. The hill man in front of him, with the scatter gun, was seriously beginning to scare the wits out of Warden Payne.

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Mathison stood in the dense woods at the base of the ridge, and watched as Payne and three of his men, rode into the yard of the shanty. He and the remaining nine of his men stood and waited until Payne had dismounted, and had garnered the attention of the old man in the house.

Quietly and slowly two men separated from the group and worked their way towards the back of the barn unseen by everyone, save their companions. 

Mathison and two more of his men followed shortly behind them, only they moved towards the only blind spot the shanty possessed. Near the back of the house, was one small lone window, its only view being the backside of the barn. 

After surveying the place carefully Mathison had decided that was where he and his men would make their entrance while Payne kept the occupants at the door and the fire, that would soon consume the empty barn, caught everyone’s attention.

#######################MK###########

Kitty lay on the cot feeling powerless while Eustice stood at the door blocking Payne’s attempt at an entrance and Matt and Doc kept watch out of two of the three windows in the room. She hated not being able to do anything, and the thought of lying there helplessly, doing nothing while Matt and Doc and Eustice risked their lives for her, wasn’t sitting well.

Gritting her teeth, and firmly clamping her mouth down on the groan caused when she began to pull herself up, Kitty finally got herself to a sitting position on the side of the bed. Glancing at the backs of the three men with her, she saw their attention was focused outside. 

Grasping the chair beside the cot, she worked hard to gain her feet without putting strain on either her injured leg or shoulder. Once on her feet she felt the sting in unsteady muscles but ignored it. She wanted to at least be standing, to face whatever came.

#######################MK###########

Having cleared the barn of all livestock, Festus and Sam, as well as several other Haggens, had originally taken cover there, but upon Little Jess’s report that the interlopers were on the ridge to the west and north of the cabin, most of the Haggens moved out and in that direction. 

Festus and Sam however remained behind, positioning themselves to either side of the entrance, keeping watch. They did not notice the two men sneaking in through the seldom used back door of the barn, until they were on them. Sam never saw the man that clubbed him from behind. Festus saw his attacker but couldn’t stop the man that hit him on the side of the head with his rifle butt.

Quickly the two men gathered some of the hay and placed it in a big pile, in the middle of the barn, and lit a match.

#########################MK###########

Matt had been intently watching out one of the side windows towards the barn. He had thought he saw movement there but with the trees so thick around it he couldn’t be sure. Glancing to the front he noted the rigid set of Eustice’s shoulders, as he barred entrance to the irksome warden and Doc’s stoic look as he watched through one of the other windows, shotgun at the ready.

Out of habit, he turned to look at Kitty, seeking calm and a sort of comfort, as he always did, in her presence. But instead of seeing her lying quietly on the cot, she was standing on her one good leg and teetering towards the floor.

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Sam came to a couple of minutes after the lights had gone out. With a groan he rolled onto his back and began the arduous task of sitting up. To his left, he saw Festus slumped to the floor beside him, and as the smell of smoke assailed him he looked behind him to see the hay, which was burning merrily, and a fire which was beginning to spread.

“Festus,” he yelled, getting clumsily to his feet. His cries went unheard by the hill man. Despite his pounding headache, Sam grabbed Festus under the arms and began to pull him towards the doors as the fire began to steadily consume the structure.

#########################MK###########

As the first orange-yellow flames began to lick at the walls and frame of the old barn, the Haggens who had moved away smelled the smoke and turned, running back to the building they had so recently abandoned.

Eustice took note of the commotion, but recognizing it for the diversion it was intended to be, remained at the door, resolutely refusing entrance to the warden and the men with him.

Having seen Kitty about to fall, Matt fairly dove across the room to catch her, barely getting to her side before her leg gave way. Before he could protest her refusal to stay down, he was shocked, when Kitty grabbed his shoulder and screamed, “Matt, get down.”

As he had reached her, and grabbed her about the waist, Kitty happened to glance over his shoulder and see Bob Mathison’s sneering face looking in the unwatched rear window, a gun pointed at Matt’s back. Grabbing Matt by the shoulder she began to push him down and out the line of fire, when she felt a tearing in the wound on her leg, and heard the sound of a gun being fired.

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Part 29

As the Haggen kin began to work on putting out the barn fire, Sam struggled outside with a still unconscious Festus. With his arm wrapped around Festus’ waist and Festus left arm over Sam’s shoulder the barkeep managed to get him to safety in the shelter of a nearby tree, just as the shots began.

Looking up, he saw two men in the nearby woods, guns aimed at him and Festus and Sam had no way of defense. His and Festus’ rifles were still in the barn.

######################MK###########

As Kitty began to pull at him, Matt fought to stay up right. However she managed to pull him down with her, a few seconds before a shot went off. Quickly Matt rolled back up and looked over to see Doc, his still smoking shotgun pointed at the window, preparing to fire again.

“Kitty, stay down.” He warned her. Grabbing his gun, Matt sprang to his feet just as Eustice stumbled back inside clutching his side. “Doc, help Eustice.” He called as he swiftly ran to the window, firing as he went.

From outside, many shots could be heard coming from all the way around the cabin. Several penetrated the interior of the room, but fortunately none found a home in any of the occupants.

Just as Matt reached the window, he saw Mathison running, heading for the high ridge to the west where his horse was tied. Matt threw himself through the window and took off at a dead run, in pursuit of the ogre who had caused so much trouble. 

Though Mathison had a head start, Matt had longer legs and a determination to stop the man who was responsible for the chaos that was currently going on around them.

Mathison finally reached his horse, but he hadn’t even touched the reins before a large pair of hands grabbed him from behind.

######################MK###########

Doc headed straight to Eustice’s side but the hill man waved him off. “I’m alright,” he said. “But bess see to the little girl, she don’t look too good.”

Doc whirled around, his gaze settled on her crumpled form on the floor beside the bed. “Kitty!” He dropped his shotgun and moved over quickly to her side, rolling her onto her back. Her already pale features were now even paler, and from the amount of blood he could see on the bandage on her leg, he knew she had torn the wound back open.

“You just lay still, Honey,” he soothed as he grabbed the sheet from the cot and began to hastily wrap her leg as tightly as he could to stem the flow of blood.

######################MK###########

Sam braced himself for the shot that he was sure was coming from the men moving in on him and Festus. But the shot never happened. At least not from those two men. 

As Sam moved down to cover Festus with his own body, two shots from further away sounded and the two men tumbled down the small the slope, to land practically at Sam’s feet.

Doy came running up to him. “Ya alright, Cousin Sam?”

Sam nodded gratefully. “Thanks to you.”

“What about cousin Festus?” Tilley asked as he approached. 

“He was hit in the head, but I think he’ll be alright.” Sam responded, as he watched in amazement at the number of Haggens pouring into the place from the surrounding woods.

Doy the saw the look on his face and chuckled. “They’s a passel of us round these parts.”

Tilly nodded beside him. “Yep, we come out like worms under a rain barrel, if ya go to messin’ with one of our’n.”

######################MK###########

Matt grabbed Mathison by the arm as he reached for the reins of his horse, and spun him around into his fist. Mathison no sooner hit the ground then he was scrambling back up on his feet, pulling a knife as he did so.

“I figured it was you who broke that woman out,” he grunted as he circled Matt, occasionally jabbing at him with the knife. “You broke the law, Dillon. You’re no better than your woman.”

Mathison took another jab, and Matt jumped back to avoid the blade of the wickedly sharp weapon. 

“You’re right about that, Mathison.” Matt returned. “She’s better than the both of us.” Blocking another jab with his left arm, Matt threw a punch with his right but missed.

The effort gave Mathison a small opening and he took it, taking a swipe and connecting with Matt’s right forearm.

Matt grimaced, but ignored the pain for the moment. He wasn’t going to give the crimson pirate in front of him another chance. “I should’ve shot you dead center, last year.” Matt gasped as he danced away from another jab of the knife. 

As Matt moved back though, he lost his footing, and went down on one knee, throwing his hands up and catching Mathison’s arm just as he struck down at him. “I’m gonna kill you Dillon,” he grunted.

But he was wrong. He had ignited a fury in the usually even tempered Marshal, and Matt wasn’t about to stop, until Mathison had felt a taste of it. Using the massive strength in his arms he threw the vile despot backwards and landed an uppercut to his face before hitting him solidly in the stomach.

Another punch to the jaw and one more to the mid-section and Mathison was on his knees begging for a reprieve. “Alright,” he sputtered past loose teeth. “Alright.” His breath was now coming in short gasps, when it came at all.

Matt stopped and glared down at the man. “Get on your feet, Mathison, you sorry SOB. MOVE!”

######################MK###########

As Matt pushed Mathison down to the cabin, he looked at the scene below him in a grateful wonder. The grounds around the cabin, and now partially burnt barn, were swarming with Haggens. 

Though many shots were fired, only two men were injured. Eustice who had sustained a bullet graze to his side, and one of the men who had ridden in with Payne. 

The aforementioned Payne was found, cowering in a corner of the yard, covering his head and pleading for mercy. When he realized the shooting had stopped he looked up to see Matt pushing Mathison in front of him towards the cabin. His mouth dropped open and instantly he began to confess, to not only Kitty’s framing, but to his being a witness to Hobson’s murder.

Mathison cast a murderous scowl in his direction, but kept his very bruised mouth shut. 

######################MK###########

Inside the cabin, Doc had managed to get the bleeding under control on Kitty’s leg, and examine Eustice’s side. He had declined to move Kitty back onto the cot, until he had help. He didn’t want to take the chance of hurting her any further.

“Eustice,” Doc stopped by the chair the man was sitting in. “I’m going outside to see if anyone out there’s hurt. Keep an eye on her, will you? Make sure she doesn’t try to do anything even more foolish.”

“I heard that.” Kitty said weakly, as Doc grinned, tugged at his ear and headed on out to the yard. He walked out the door just in time to see Matt tying up Mathison and Payne, and more Haggen's than he could, count herding the rest of Mathison's men into the yard.

Something told Doc, his and the rest of his friends time as fugitives was just about over.

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Part 30

Kitty sat curled up on the settee in her room, watching while Matt placed some extra logs into the fireplace. “There,” he said. “It’ll get a little warmer in here now.”

Kitty smiled up at him as he sat back down beside her, and pulled her into his arms. “I thought it was getting pretty hot in here already.” She said salaciously, as she ran her hands over his chest.

Matt grinned at her and pulled her up to him for a kiss. 

They had been home in Dodge now for two months, since Mathison had attacked them at the Haggen’s place, and things were finally getting back to normal for the two.

The day after the attack, Newly and Vernell had finally arrived to find that the prisoners they had come for, were not the ones Newly would be taking back. 

Though Mathison had threatened him to within an inch of his life, Payne had spilled the beans on the red headed tyrant. He gave evidence against him in not only Hobson’s murder and Kitty’s framing, but also several other misdeeds that Payne knew about. He had even been able to provide written evidence in some cases. 

Mathison in return, had of course given evidence against Payne as well, in some of those same cases. His money and power had been able to save him from the hang man, but it hadn’t been able to do much else. He and Payne were now safely ensconced within the walls of Statesville Prison, with a new warden and guards, but some of the same prisoners they had once brutalized.

Doc, though he proclaimed loudly to the contrary, was sad to be leaving the hill people he had spent so much time with, especially Texie, in whose home he had stayed. Though not the nurse Kitty was, she had proved herself to be capable and able to assist Doc, without flinching, when he had really needed her. Despite everything he had grown fond of Texie.

Festus was unhappy at parting with his kin as well, and he thought seriously about staying behind, when his friends left to return to Dodge. But in the end he knew he had grown beyond his relatives and their back woods ways, and decided to return to what he now considered his home, Dodge City.

Doc and Festus weren’t the only ones who were sad at leaving. Though Kitty was glad to finally be going home, she knew she would miss the good and gentle people who had taken her and her friends into their homes and their hearts. 

Standing on the porch of his little cabin, Kitty had cried as she hugged Eustice goodbye. “Now, now little girl,” he soothed trying to stifle his own emotions. “Ain’t no use ya carryin’ on like that. It ain’t like we’s never gonna see each other again. Who knows, I just might get a hankerin’ to see that big city of your’n and come visit.”

Kitty sniffled and kissed him on the cheek. “Promise?” she asked.

“Promise.” He returned, with a grin the size of Kansas.

With a little help from Judge Brooker, and a full confession from the drummer as to how Kitty was framed, the charges against Kitty had been reversed and the conviction vacated. Charges were never proffered against Matt and the rest of the Dodge men. There didn’t seem to be much point.

Kitty’s wounds, both physical and emotional were healing nicely, and now, two months later, she had resumed her life as the Queen of Dodge, as Louie had shyly named her upon her return. 

Kitty didn’t consider herself to be queen of anything; much less Dodge, but she loved Louie for thinking of her in that way. She realized by his words, and Matt and the other’s actions, just how loved she really was.

“You warm now?” Matt asked, bringing her thoughts back to the present. 

Kitty nodded. “Yes. In more ways than one, I guess.”

Matt studied her curiously for a moment. “What do you mean?”

Kitty sat silently for a moment trying to put her feelings into words. “I was just thinking about what you, Sam, Doc and Festus did for me. You all risked your lives and a prison sentence to come after me, Matt. You risked even more than that. You risked your badge.” She said that last with still a touch of awe, at the chance he had taken for her.

Matt nodded. “Yes we did, but we owed you that and more. You’ve risked your life for us before you know.”

Kitty shrugged. “Never thought of it that way I guess. I just did what I had to do, when I had to do it.” She looked over at Matt when a sudden thought hit her. “Just like you, huh?”

Matt crinkled his brow. “Like me?”

Kitty nodded. “When you got that telegraph ordering you back to the trial, you did what you had to do. I was mad enough at the time, not to see that. If I had’ve, I would’ve stayed here and waited on you, and that whole mess with Mathison wouldn’t have happened.”

Matt shook his head. “Kitty, do not blame yourself for that. What happened was not your fault. I’m just sorry you had to go through so much alone. I’m sorry that once again my badge took precedence over our plans. I would love to promise you that it won’t happen again, but….”

“Matt,” Kitty interrupted him. “When I accepted you in my life, I accepted that badge and the responsibilities that came with it. It doesn’t mean I won’t throw a fit occasionally, but I do understand, Matt. I do, and it’s okay. As long as I have you, I can deal with the rest. I choose you, no I choose US, over everything else.”

Matt smiled tenderly and pulled Kitty back to him. “I’m not going to change, Kitty.” He told her. “I’ll still be stubborn and there will still be times, I will put this badge before our plans. But I promise you, I will try to make more time for us than I have in the past, because I choose US too.”

Kitty looked into his warm blue gaze, and knew he would do as he promised. But right then she didn’t care. For this night, they were no longer fugitives from justice. They were prisoners. Of love. And that was just the way she wanted it.

FINIS


End file.
